In a ceremony marked by dignity and splendour, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Primate and Exarch of All Oceania, was conferred the title of doctor honoris causa by the Department of Theology and the Department of Social Theology and Religious Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). The event took place in the University’s Great Hall on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.
The ceremony was graced by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece.
Among those in attendance were the graduate and doctor honoris causa of the University of Athens, former President of the Hellenic Republic, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the graduate and doctor honoris causa of the University of Athens, former Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Panagiotis Pikrammenos, the graduate of the University of Athens, Greek Minister of Health, Mr Adonis Georgiadis, the graduate of the University of Athens, Greek Minister of Tourism, Ms Olga Kefalogianni, the Representative of the Leader of the Major Opposition Party, Member of Parliament, Mr Stavros Michailidis, the Representative of the Leader of SYRIZA-Coalition for the Radical Left, State Deputy, Ms Popi Tsapanidou, the Representative of the Leader of the Democratic Patriotic Movement ‘VICTORY’, Member of Parliament, Mr Andreas Voryllas, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, Emeritus Professors, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Greek Government, Mr Evaggelos Venizelos, the Civil Administrator of Mount Athos, former Minister, Mr Alkiviadis Stefanis, Representatives of the Chiefs of the Hellenic Armed Forces, Representatives of the Regional Governor of Attica and the Mayor of Athens, HE the Ambassador of Australia to Athens, Ms Alison Duncan, the Greek Consul General in Istanbul, Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, the Representative of HE the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the Hellenic Republic, Their Eminencies Metropolitans, Secretaries General of Ministries, Members of the Administration Council of the University of Athens, Vice-Rectors, Deans, Chairs of Departments, Members of the University Senate, members of faculty at the School of Theology and all other Schools of the University of Athens.
Addressing the honouree was the Rector of the University of Athens, Professor Gerasimos Siasos. Immediately afterwards, the Dean of the School of Theology, Professor Emmanouil Karageorgoudis, presented the work and personality of the honouree. The awarding ceremony included the reading of the official documents: the Resolution, the Conferral Decree, and the Doctoral Diploma. Subsequently, the honouree was presented with the honorary epitoge.
The ceremony closed with His Eminence Makarios delivering a most topical and particularly interesting speech on the topic ‘Vox Populi (Voice of the People) on the Internet. The Contemporary Threat of Distorting Ecclesiastical and Democratic Conscience’, which in fact was a compelling theological and sociological analysis of the challenges posed by digital media in shaping public and ecclesiastical discourse.
The Rector of the University of Athens, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, in his address, acknowledged the presence of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with the following words:
‘We welcome you today to the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which has awarded you in the past the title of doctor honoris causa of all its Schools and Departments, making you the only individual to have received this honour from the oldest and largest University in the Hellenic World.
Your All Holiness, I wish to express once again, on behalf of the Rectory Authorities, the love and respect we hold for the Ecumenical Throne and your person. Your patriarchate has been a perpetual ministry to all humankind, inspired by the unbroken and unadulterated tradition of the Orthodox Church.
In you, we see the epitome of a true leader, whose preaching and ideas resonate deeply with the Orthodox faithful and every fellow human being alike. Your many years of multifaceted service and multidimensional work with the Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate—a ministry anchored in the universal values of Orthodoxy—make you a pillar of Hellenism worldwide, the Orthodox Church, and Christianity at large’.
The Rector, Professor Siasos, went on with his address, emphasizing, among other things, the following:
‘The presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, and dozens of eminent Prelates lends splendour to today’s ceremony and honours our University. It fills us with optimism and reaffirms in a very clear way the strong relationship between NKUA and the sacred institution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on the one hand, and the spirit of love that connects us with the Church of Greece, on the other.
The honouree was born in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. From a young age he showed great devotion to Church life and theological learning. He received his early education at the Rizarios Ecclesiastical School, and later on, after attending the Higher Ecclesiastical School of Athens, he graduated from the School of Theology of our National and Kapodistrian University.
Driven by a divine zeal and an unwavering passion for learning, he continued his studies at leading Institutions, including Boston and Harvard University. His doctoral degree, conferred with the highest academic distinction by the Medical School of the University of Crete, demonstrates his exceptional scientific ability.
His Eminence represented the Church of Crete in various assignments and produced a rich body of teaching and scholarly work. He taught at the Patriarchal University Ecclesiastical Academy of Crete and other Higher Educational Institutions in Greece and abroad. Today, he continues his academic path as Dean of St Andrews Greek Orthodox Theological College in Sydney, Australia.
His oeuvre shows strong social concern and a clear belief in Theology as a guide for people in today’s world. As President of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Synodal Committee on Bioethics and the respective Inter-Orthodox Commission, the honouree has taken the lead in shaping theological responses to the major dilemmas of our time.
His blessed path of service reached its fulfilment in 2019 when the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, following the favourable commendation of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, unanimously elected him Archbishop of Australia. Since then, the Church has entrusted him with the ministry of the fifth continent—a sacred task he exercises from the lofty and weighty throne of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, through which he shepherds the diverse flock of God with consistency, wisdom, and spiritual responsibility.
During his six years in Australia, the honouree has breathed new life into and revitalized the large Greek Orthodox Community of the country.
He established schools to teach Greek to the diaspora, upgraded St Andrews Greek Orthodox Theological College in Sydney, and founded a School of Byzantine Music.
Archbishop Makarios enhanced the outreach of the Archdiocese by providing meals and expanding care for the elderly. He ordained eight bishops and over seventy-five priests and deacons and thus strengthened the pastoral presence of the Church across the continent. He launched domestic missionary programmes for Australian citizens and undertook numerous initiatives for the cultural revival and the preservation of the Greek heritage’.
The ceremony was a moment of great symbolism and honour for the School of Theology, the University of Athens, and the Greek diaspora.
Photos: Dimitris Konstantinidis
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