The Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos met today with the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Hieronymus at the Ministry of National Defence.

Mr. Avramopoulos announced the participation of the Armed Forces’ Military Markets in the social action programme “All together, we can” organised by ‘SKAI’ Television Station, in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Athens.

This initiative falls under the framework of the Armed Forces’ social role.

Below follow the statements made by the Minister of National Defence Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos and extracts of the statements made by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Hieronymus and the Chairman of ‘SKAI’ Television Station, Mr. Ghiannis Alafouzos.

THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE Mr. DIMITRIS AVRAMOPOULOS

Your Beatitude, it is really a very special joy and honour today for the political and military leadership to receive you here, where the heart and soul of Greece is pulsating.

It is our pleasure to have in our company today Mr. Alafouzos, whom we are welcoming, for the common announcement of a programme of high social sensitivity and, as an act of response to an initiative you have assumed and which has already sensitised the Greek people, during these hard times we are experiencing.

Today I have the special joy to announce the decision of the Ministry of National Defence to participate in the social action programme of the ‘SKAI’ television station “All together, we can”, under the auspices and in cooperation with the Church of Greece, your Beatitude.

As you all know, this effort’s goal is the actual social contribution of the personnel in the Armed Forces, men and women, as well as the civilian personnel of our Ministry, by the collection of food and clothing for all those who are in real need, during these difficult times.

This country’s Armed Forces, in the framework of their social role, are of assistance to this very important initiative.

For this goal, in all 27 military markets all around the country, the suitable space is going to be installed so that the visitors can place food and clothing for our indigent townspeople.

All together, we can, then, and we actually can contribute in a tangible and essential way to the support of the financially weaker townspeople, which is very important for the contribution to the enhancement of social cohesion.

This social contribution has a double benefit. Our society enacts our townspeople in need, and offers support. Consequently, it is very important for such initiatives to find response.

The Armed Forces are here to show once more their sensitivity and will for help, social contribution and solidarity.

Your Beatitude, the response to this programme takes place at a critical time. Given the chance, I would like to say that the financial circumstance exerts great pressure to the cadres and the personnel of the Armed Forces.

Nevertheless, as it has traditionally been proven, the Armed Forces and their personnel, guided by their national duty, never allow their social duty to become second priority.

Once more, I would like to welcome you and thank you, your Beatitude, and through you, all the Dioceses and the Church of Greece, as well as you, Mr. Ghiannis Alafouzos, for the initiative and the coordination of this social action by the ‘SKAI’ television station.  

With these thoughts we welcome you, we thank you for your presence here and, ask you, your Beatitude, to take the floor.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS AND ALL OF GREECE Mr. HIERONYMUS 

The effort made by the Church, an effort within its mission, since the Church’s mission is twofold – first of all to support the person, any person, to offer him the point, the meaning of life, to nourish him, to tell him where he comes from, where he is going, to give sense to his life, to stand by him and to raise his spirits.

The second, and equally essential, is to help him with his problems, any problems the man of every time could affront.

The problem that has developed came gradually, without anyone expecting it. You should know that this effort, that has become so strong currently, found its outbreak at a spark, when someone wished to visit those kids who were involved in troubles due to the use of various narcotics, and we all understand what I mean by that.

So, even though we have our questions and concerns many times, we need to have our provisions available to all people approaching us, Christians or not, white, black, everyone, and always welcome them to our table.

So this spread widely. I would like to tell you that the church, even though many allege that possesses gold mines, actually has nothing.  

It has no funds available for the month to come. However, it has a remaining fortune which, if we had cooperated in the proper ways, if we had hastened to find the solutions, we would have great strength to overcome these difficulties. Let’s hope that we will do it now.

What we, the State and the Church, couldn’t do in an organised way, was done by the people. These people have deeply moved us. Not the wealthy; those poor people who come and have amazed us and every day, due to the experiences we live, we go from surprise to surprise and from emotion to emotion.

Some days ago, our church celebrated the Restoration of the icons. That means that it took the fallen icons and restored them to their place.

Today, mister Minister, many are the people, the icons of God, fallen by the difficulties, the exigencies. If we could restore the people’s icon, all together, we would do an achievement, like the ones our country has done…

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE “SKAI” TELEVISION STATION Mr. G. ALAFOUZOS

All we did was to help the Church of Greece and the Greeks who wanted to coordinate and offer to their country something more. This is what we are always trying to do and this is our role. 

Once more, thank you very much…

THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE Mr. DIMITRIS AVRAMOPOULOS

We thank you too Mr. Alafouzos. Your Beatitude, once more thank you for your presence here today. 

I would just like to add that in this place, as I usually repeat at any chance, lies Greece of duty, of obligation, of honour. Today, one more characteristic is added, Greece of social sensitivity.  

I could only completely agree with you that during these hard times we have to keep the Greek people together and not slip through the petty and trivial that lead us often in the wrong path.

The times are hard yet we have the historical knowledge that can convince us that we can overcome the crisis and gaze into the future with optimism. Have no doubt that, by maintaining the cohesion, our country will find again its orientation, its pace, its perspective.

Currently, in this area your prays, blessings and guidance are also included. Thank you very much for your presence.

Mr. Alafouzos, congratulations on this initiative. And I really wish that it will answer to its deeper meaning and character which is, beyond standing by the helpless, to contribute to what we have all brought out with this humble yet symbolic event, the cohesion of the Hellenic society and the – all so necessary – principle of solidarity.

Thank you very much, your Beatitude, thank you very much.

And one more thing, let’s hope that there will not be enough room in the depots!

Thank you, gentlemen, for your presence here.