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It is a great honour for me to be here today, at the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas, to address, on behalf of the Government, this special event organized by the Theological School of the Church of Cyprus for the Feast of the Three Hierarchs and the Day of Greek Letters.
Allow me, before any other mention, to congratulate and thank the Management and the members of the Council of the School, for all the work they do, since, in addition to the operation of the School as a nursery of theological education in our country, they promote and highlight the spiritual, social, cultural, educational and scientific mission of the Church through the many important activities they develop.
Today's event is also part of the above context, with the excellent hymns preceded by the Byzantine Choir of the School and the very interesting speech that will be followed by the Professor and academic collaborator of the School, Konstantinos Nikolakopoulos, on the importance of education in the Three Hierarchs.
Undoubtedly, the establishment of the celebration of the Day of Greek Letters with these three Great Fathers of our Church highlights the closely intertwined course of their life and work with the promotion of letters and education. The Three Hierarchs, inspired teachers, preachers of love, missionaries and loving shepherds of the people, sought and achieved the fusion of ancient Greek literature and philosophy with the Christian faith. Their work, impressive in scope and quality, connects in harmony the ancient world with the Christian world, thus synthesizing the Greek-Christian civilization.
Serving both through their words and their works the essential meaning of education, which for them was the formation and shaping of complete characters, they achieved the coupling of spiritual culture and social action, making their teaching timeless and universal. For the Three Hierarchs, education is a virtue and must fulfill its ultimate purpose of the diligence and education of man, the acquisition and beneficial transmission of knowledge wherever it comes from, the cultivation of critical thinking, the broadening of spiritual horizons, and personal and social advancement.
There is much that can be said about the life and invaluable contribution of the Three Hierarchs as Ecumenical Masters. However, I will limit myself to this brief mention, since, through Professor Nikolakopoulos' speech, we will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the course they followed, which established them as beacons and bearers of intellect, letters, education and culture.
But what I would like to emphasize before closing my brief greeting is that the work and teachings of the Three Great Fathers of our Church are shining examples for all of us, in the effort to implement the vision for a qualitative upgrade of education in our country and for a more human-centred educational system. In a time of rapid developments and multiple challenges, we want to strengthen our teachers and educators in their daily, demanding effort to serve, as the State has entrusted them, the education of our country. To educate, guide and illuminate the path of our children. By extension, we want to give our children not only the necessary skills, but also all the mental tools that will help them face the challenges they will encounter and chart their own course for the benefit of themselves, society and our country. All those skills that will help them to put into practice love for their fellow human beings and lifelong development, just as the Three Hierarchs taught through their life and work.
We want an education that will continue to shape literate and integrated citizens, who will strive to preserve the identity, language, principles and values of our people, and the values of love and solidarity.
We want an education that will continue to shape literate and integrated citizens, who will strive to preserve the identity, language, principles and values of our people, and the values of love and solidarity. A student-centred education, which, as I mentioned in my eulogy/memorial speech this morning, will highlight the value of the personal abilities of each individual child. An education that will lead us to a free, reunited and prosperous Cyprus.
(EAT/NG)
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