New York - The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the American Bible Society are jointly underwriting the costs to supply over 10,000 copies of the New Testament in modern Greek to those affected by the devastating fires in Greece.  The initiative, spearheaded by the Greek Bible Society, will donate Bibles directly to the affected Metropolises in Greece, which will then distribute the Bibles at no cost to the individuals impacted.

“The distribution of Bibles to people who have been affected by this terrible tragedy represents one of the many ways in which the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has worked to minister to our brothers and sisters in Greece in their process of recovery, who especially need at this time the healing power of the Holy Scriptures,” remarked His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios.  “Through this initiative, our Archdiocese will be able to support the pastoral outreach of the affected Metropolises in Greece, and demonstrate the concern of the Church for the physical and spiritual well-being of all people.”

Michail Chatzigiannis, the General Secretary of the Greek Bible Society, also remarked, “Though materialism and the atheistic spirit of this world may try to demoralize the victims of these tragic fires, we believe that the written Word of God will help those affected experience God as ‘the Lord of patience and consolation.’  These generous donations will enable the distribution of God’s written word to comfort the hearts of these suffering people.”

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the American Bible Society, and the Greek Bible Society have collaborated closely on a number of initiatives such as the publication of the Children’s Bible Reader and the digital publication of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s 1904 authorized New Testament Text (http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/biblegreek).