"We do not want to be, nor are we, an imitation or competitors of the State Church."

Our existence as the Church of the Old Calendar in Greece, in relation to this change in the calendar and this history of 100 years, holds a confessional significance. I will repeat the words of His Beatitude, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Kallinikos, and the unanimous stance of our Holy Synod, stating the following: we exist to bear witness to the Truth and not to replace the State Church. Our Apostolic Succession serves as a banner of the self-evident Presence of God throughout these 100 years. There is no need for me to make further mention of our Apostolic Succession, as it would be tiresome, but any reader can investigate this subject here, in a lengthy book that can be freely accessed on the website of our Church. There are also other books that are quite enlightening.

We do not want to be, nor are we, an imitation or competitors of the State Church. We have raised the banner of truth to show the orientation and the cross-resurrectional path of Romiosini as a symbolic guidepost. This is what we express and project, and nothing more, while at the same time not seeking titles or positions. Our recent history has demonstrated this even with the Presence of God. During the persecutions, the state with its police and the State Church with its decisions persecuted and imprisoned the Old Calendarists, yet God manifested Himself and brought consolation. In 1925, on Mount Hymettus in Attica, the miracle of the appearance of the Precious Cross in the sky to the then-persecuted Christians was a source of comfort and strength. The holy relics of our contemporary Saints, which emit fragrance and work miracles, constitute a sign from God, an intangible compass, foundations, and bedrock for our liturgical community.

- Metropolitan Gregory of Thessalonika, "100 Years of Witness and Reflection."

Greek source: https://www.ecclesiagoc.gr/index.php/%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%81%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7/%CE%BD%CE%AD%CE%B1/2303-omilia-thessalonikis-grigoriou-sinodiki-ekdilosi-2024