Recently, someone shared this on X again: https://greekorthodox.org.au/archbishop-makarios-of-australia-the-services-should-be-conducted-in-greek-we-do-not-forget-our-identity/, and it reminded me of this video: https://youtu.be/XZftxmS3h3A?si=3D8inaAA3CKSEFzx .

The question isn’t whether or not the laity understands Greek; the question is whether Modern Greek speakers born in countries that aren’t Greece understand Koine Greek and Atticized Koine Greek. Especially when, as the second link reveals, even in Greece, translations need to be made in order for the laity to understand Koine Greek and Atticized Koine Greek.

This is an issue that, at least in North America (I’m not sure about Australia), goes as far back as at least the 1940s. When I have more time, I’ll update this post with further reading material on this issue. But for now, I don’t know what the solution is, and I say this as someone who loves the old form of the language, as readers of this blog surely know.

Oh, and Fr. Tom Soroka touched on this issue here.

Resources:

1543 – 2002 – Bible Translations from Koine Greek into Vernacular Greek

1766 – 1976 –The Greek Language Question

1870-1874 – The “Bulgarian Schism” Began 150 Years Ago (February 2020)

1901 – The Gospel Riots

2026 – Istanbul’s Bulgarian Orthodox Church Bans Greek-Language Services After Ecumenical Patriarchate Dispute