On Friday, January 24, as part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Havana, a remarkable musical event was held at the nearby Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, a 16th-century Catholic church.
The event was attended by Archbishop Makarios of Australia, representing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the anniversary celebrations in Havana.
He was accompanied by Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico, Bishops Athenagoras of Myrina, and Timotheos of Assos. The government of Cuba was represented by Fernando León Jacomino, Deputy Minister of Culture, and Leira Sánchez Valdivia.
During the captivating evening, Cuban musicians performed classical music, offering the audience a feast of harmonious melodies that received warm and enthusiastic applause.
At the conclusion of the event, Archbishop Makarios praised the performers in his closing remarks, drawing a connection between the harmony of the music and the kindness of the Cuban people, whose warmth and hospitality deeply impressed him.
Paraphrasing the words of the great Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who said that one must be a lover of music to understand the harmony of tones, the Archbishop remarked: “To understand Cuba, you must be a lover of beauty—you must be a lover of music, art, nature, and the noble feelings that distinguish the human spirit.”
He assured the audience that Cuba has gained a fervent ambassador in him, promising to continually speak of the country and its blessed people.
He added, “But do not expect all peoples to understand you. There will always be those who cannot hear or comprehend your heartbeat. Yet, Cuba moves forward.”
Concluding his heartfelt address, the Archbishop of Australia recalled an exhortation: “If we cannot be saints, at least let us be noble people,” and noted, “I witnessed this here in Cuba. I encountered a kind-hearted people who truly touched my heart.”
Finally, Archbishop Makarios expressed his admiration for the local Shepherd, Metropolitan Iakovos of Mexico, and conveyed the warm wishes and blessings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to all. He concluded by wishing that God would personally bestow all the blessings of heaven upon the people of Cuba.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source orthodoxtimes.com ’
