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.