AUTOCEPHALIC GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA

HOLY DIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA AND AMERICA 

A BRIEF HISTORY 

 

The  Autocephalic Greek Orthodox Church of America and Australia was established in 1973 as a result of a long standing dispute between the Greek Orthodox Communities of Australia and the Archdiocese of Australia which belongs to the Patriarchate of Constantinopole, and in particular the demand  that the Communities hand over ownership of their churches to the Archdiocese. 

As a lever of pressure the Archdiocese, under Archbishop Ezekiel Kefalas, without warning withdrew the priests  serving in  those  churches. The Federation then approached the Ukranian Orthodox Church of Diaspora, who’s canonical Bishop for Australia was Metropolitan  Sergje Ohotenko, and which has suspended any contact with the Patriarchate of Moscow. Bishop Sergie  supported and served the Communities until his death. 

In 1969 the Federation, under the presidency of D. Elefantis ( G.O.C. of Melbourne) came in contact with Archbishop Spyridon Ermogenous who was in communion with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, serving the Greek Orthodox Communities of the Old Calendar rites in America and which have sought ecclesiastical cover under the said  synod. 

Archbishop  Spyridon arrived in Australia in mid 1969 and took charge of the spiritual administration of the churches. In 1973 the Federation, who’s  president now was Mr Nich. Manos,  ( later appointed as  judge in S. Australia) in collaboration with Msr. Spyridon, moved to establish the Autocephalic Church as a legal entity and which now is officially recognised as an Official  Church Denomination  by the Australian authorities. Archbishop Spyridon resigned by his own accord. In 1984 the Federation  came in to an agreement with Bishop Paul of Christianoupolis, a former Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese  of Australia. He resigned in 2009. 

The  genuine and  honest  attempts of the leadership of the communities to attain ecclesiastical order and leadership  remained without real results mainly due to the inability of the various church leaders to organise the Church properly which, worthy to mention, was welcomed, and still is, feverishly  by our faithful in Australia. 

In early 2009 the federation, under the presidency of Theo Maras, representing the G,O,C, of South  Australia, requested  from our Holy Synod , presided by His Excellency Metrpolitan of Αιgina ,Poros, Spetses, Treazinea and  Hermionid  Mgr Afxentios, ecclesiastical and spiritual  coverage and communion. 

The Holy Synod in a spirit of  prudence and  a sense of  responsibility accepted and assumed the spiritual administration of the Autocephalic Church and the churches of the  various communities – members of the federation forming with a synodical Tomos the Holy Metropolis of Australia & All Oceania.

The Synodical  Administration of the Metropolis of Australia & All Oceania  was entrusted to Metropolitan Auxentios,who in September 2010 was elected and elevated to the high office of Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and is now known as Afxentios II.