Bishop Evmenios, along with members of the Holy Clergy of Melbourne, were among the thousands of spectators who attended Greek singer Nikos Oikonomopoulos’ Melbourne concert in an evening full of music, joy and intense Greek colour.
The show had a strong youth presence with many attendees being young people.
A few days earlier, Archbishop Makarios of Australia had also attended the popular artist’s concert in Sydney, as part of his anniversary tour to celebrate twenty years in Greek music.
The presence of Church representatives at Oikonomopoulos’ concerts does not go unnoticed. After all, the well-known singer has never hidden his deep faith in Christ.
On the contrary, at every opportunity he publicly expresses his religious commitment, emphasising that his love for Christ is not just a personal belief, but a conscious way of life.
In a recent interview, the popular artist stated that he is completely devoted to Christ, stating that his great goal is eternal life and the constant effort to become a better person.
At the same time, he explained that he does not seek to convince anyone to follow the path of faith, as, as he characteristically stated, faith is a personal experience that everyone is called to discover within themselves.
“I am surrendered to Christ. I am not interested in anything else but to gain eternal life. I want to become a better person. I want to help as much as I can people who have problems,” he said.
At another point in his interview, with particular emotional charge, he added: “I love Christ very much, I say it all the time, it is a way of life for me.” And he added that he has never tried to impose his beliefs on others, as he believes that faith is not imposed, but is born and cultivated through each person’s personal search.
This stance is one of the characteristic elements of his public presence, as Nikos Oikonomopoulos chooses to speak openly about his faith, without avoiding the criticism or comments that his public statements may provoke.
For him, as he has repeatedly stated, love for Christ and the effort for a better human presence are an integral part of his life.
And perhaps this explains, at least in part, why his appearances in Australia not only attract the interest of his thousands of fans, but also the presence of people from the Church, who found themselves close to him on these special musical evenings.
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