GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA 8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106 Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215 Web: http://www.goarch.org Email: communications@goarch.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2008
Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos
President George W. Bush Welcomes Archbishop Demetrios
and the Greek American Community to the White House to
Celebrate the 187th Anniversary of Greek Independence Day
Washington, DC ? President George W. Bush welcomed Archbishop Demetrios of America and members of the Greek American community to the White House on March 25 on the occasion of the celebration of the 187th Anniversary of Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. (Proclamation text attached.) Government officials and Greek Americans from throughout the United States attended the ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
In his opening remarks, Archbishop Demetrios in noting that this was the eighth consecutive year that President Bush has invited him to the White House for the celebration of the Anniversary of Greek Independence Day said:? Please accept, Mr. President, our deep appreciation and thankfulness for personally handing over to us, the Greek American community, your noble declaration honoring the Great Hellenic Revolution of March 25, 1821?The heroes of 1821, of the war for the independence of Greece, were absolutely convinced that with the help of God they could determine the course of their own history and achieve what otherwise seemed impossible. Their unshakable faith in God and their unwavering determination against a deplorable attitude of passive submission to any blind fate or inescapable chance were their most formidable weapons in a fight that, by normal human standards, seemed doomed to fail.
?Today, however, this very Greek Nation, in a number of sensitive issues, receives by some nations, treatment which is unjust by any standards. The issues of the reunification of Cyprus and of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are two characteristic examples of this. Therefore, speaking rather boldly on this solemn day, we express our firm conviction that you will certainly exercise your unique authority and leadership in order to facilitate a course of action that will treat sensitive issues related to Greece in a fair and dignified way. Greece is not seeking special favors or unreasonable deference?. (Complete text attached)
President Bush thanked Archbishop Demetrios for his suggestions, welcoming him again to the White House. The President also recognized the presence of the Greek Development Minister Christos Folias, the Ambassador of Greece to the United States Alexandros P. Mallias, the Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States Andreas Kakouris and former US Senator Paul Sarbanes.
The President further stated: ?All free people stand on the shoulders of Greece. In the ancient world where political power usually came from the sword, the people of Athens came together around a radical and untried idea that men were fit to govern themselves. It was this freedom that allowed them to create one of the most vibrant societies in history. And that society deeply influenced America's founding fathers when they sought to establish a Free State centuries later.
Throughout their history?. he continued, ? the people of Greece have been committed to liberty. They've also been committed to the important principle that liberty only survives when brave men and women are ready to come to its defense. In the years leading up to Greece's war for independence, one of the rallying cries of the Greek people was that it was better to be free for an hour than to be a slave for 40 years. Those are the kind of folks who had their priorities straight.?
Following the remarks by President Bush and Archbishop Demetrios the Metropolitan Youth Choir of the Direct Archdiocesan District, under the direction of Maria Kolevas, performed two songs for the President, the Archbishop and the invited guests, ?The Battle Hymn of the Republic? and a popular Greek song. All the guests were moved as the President personally thanked each child. Earlier in the morning of March 25, Archbishop Demetrios celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Annunciation and Doxology for Greek Independence Day at St. Sophia Cathedral in Washington, DC.
Proclamation
Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2008
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BY The President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On Greek Independence Day, we recognize the important contributions Greek Americans have made to our national character, celebrate the deep friendship between our two countries, and honor the anniversary of the Greek call for independence.
The United States and Greece share a close relationship based on our common belief in the power of freedom. The ancient Athenians gave birth to the principles of democracy, and America's Founding Fathers were inspired by Greek ideals that honored and respected human dignity and rights. When the people of Greece claimed their independence in 1821, they had the strong support of the United States. Greek patriots risked their lives because they knew freedom and democracy were both their proud legacy and their ultimate destiny. Today, our nations remain allies in the cause of freedom and are working to lay the foundations of peace and spread the blessings of liberty around the world.
In celebrating Greek Independence Day, we commemorate the heritage of freedom our countries hold dear, and we remember the Greek Americans whose strong spirit, resolve, and courage helped shape America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States do hereby proclaim March 25, 2008, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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REMARKS OF ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS OF AMERICA FOR
Greek Independence Day The White House
March 25, 2008
Mr. President,
This is the eighth time in eight consecutive years that we have the great honor of being invited by you to the White House.
You have been consistent, generous and gracious in offering to us, the Greek-American Orthodox Community, this opportunity of celebrating Greek Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation with you. Please accept, Mr. President, our deep appreciation and thankfulness for personally handing over to us your noble declaration honoring the Great Hellenic Revolution of March 25, 1821.
The heroes of that astonishing Revolution were people who believed strongly that history is not determined by blind forces, by accidental chance or by inescapable fate. They knew that ÅéìáñìÝíç, a significant deity in classical Greek mythology directly connected to the related deities: destiny, necessity and chance (ìïßñá, áíÜãêç, and ôu÷ç in the Greek language), played a decisive role in the course of human events. Nevertheless, they also knew that ÅiìáñìÝíç, or fate, was ultimately a guarantor that the highest ethical norms and moral principles would prevail inevitably in the course of the developing human history and personal life.
The heroes of 1821, of the war for the independence of Greece, were absolutely convinced that with the help of God they could determine the course of their own history and achieve what otherwise seemed impossible. Their unshakable faith in God and their unwavering determination against a deplorable attitude of passive submission to any blind fate or inescapable chance were their most formidable weapons in a fight that, by normal human standards, seemed doomed to fail.
The heroic Greek freedom fighters of 1821 belonged to a Nation which has a glorious history of more than five thousand years; a Nation that has produced a succession of superb universal civilizations, from the Minoan, the Mycenaean, the Cycladic, the Homeric, to the Classical, the Hellenistic, the Greco-Roman and the Orthodox Christian civilization of Byzantium; a Nation which, because of its unyielding adherence to eternal values and principles, decisively contributed with an abundance of sacrifice, to the final victory of the Allies against the tyrannical and dictatorial powers of both the First and Second World Wars; a Nation which in our days constitutes a strong factor for stability, progress and peace in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean basin.
Today, however, this very Greek Nation, in a number of sensitive issues, receives by some nations, treatment which is unjust by any standards. The issues of the reunification of Cyprus and of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are two characteristic examples of this.
Mr. President, you have clearly demonstrated throughout your dedicated service to our beloved country, this blessed land of America that you believe in God and that, with His help, deliberate and decisive human action can determine the course and the shape of history and the life of the people. You certainly did not espouse the theory that leaves the field and the course of human history in the hands of dark powers, evil forces, blind fate or inescapable chance. Therefore, speaking rather boldly on this solemn day, we express our firm conviction that you will certainly exercise your unique authority and leadership in order to facilitate a course of action that will treat sensitive issues related to Greece in a fair and dignified way. Greece is not seeking special favors or unreasonable deference. The Hellenic Nation is a proud and honorable Nation, a faithful ally of the United States of America for generations, which throughout its long history has established as a fact that it does not depend on favors, but on justice and respect.
You, Mr. President, in the case of our Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, to which we as a Church here in the United States belong, have repeatedly shown unfailing support, precisely because you have seen the urgent need of resolute action in matters of religious freedom and human rights.
But there is also need for action in cases, as the ones mentioned earlier, cases vital for the Greek Nation and its beneficial role in promoting peace, justice, and freedom in South-Eastern Europe. We know you to be, Mr. President, a person who strives for peace, justice and freedom in the exercise of your high office, and therefore, we can count on your careful consideration of these concerns. We express once again our warmest thanks for today?s ceremony and the distinct honor to observe this solemn commemoration at the White House. We fervently and constantly pray to Almighty God for you and your beloved family, for our noble American Nation, and for the heroic Hellenic Nation on the occasion of this Greek Independence Day. A day when unfailing faith in God and resolute action by a handful of people, changed the course of history and reestablished the happiness and beauty of freedom and independence in a land?mother of beauty and liberty.