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DEDICATION: The timeless message of July 9, 1821translated

July 9, 2026 · 1 min read

July 9th is a day of memory and honor for the martyred island of Cyprus. Today we bow to the National Martyr Archbishop Kyprianos and all the archpriests, abbots, priests and prefects who were hanged or slaughtered by the Turks between July 9-14, 1821, for "the Holy Faith and the freedom of the Fatherland". Fifty-one years after the invasion, today's message remains relevant. July 9, throughout time, guides Cypriot Hellenism in all its struggles. this attitude was shown by the fighters of EOKA, this attitude was shown by the defenders of Cyprus during the Turkish invasion.

Archbishop Kyprianos: The emblematic form of the struggle Archbishop Kyprianos is an emblematic figure of Cyprus' struggle for freedom. The Bishop of Ledras Mr. Epifanios, Abbot of the Mahaira Monastery, spoke about the contribution to the Genus struggle and the martyrdom suffered by the Archbishop of Cyprus Kyprianos on July 9, 1821, in a Digital Archontariki organized by Pemtousia in July 2022.

On the occasion of today, watch what Theophilastos had mentioned:

The timeless message of July 9...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (12) 🌐 Show original

Katarina Đorđević

Ο Κυπριανός και οι κρεμασμένοι του του is not just history. In 1974, my parents lost their home in Lefkosia and still say that "we are keeping it." I don't know if they mean it exactly as it is written in the article, but the phrase "Πίστη και Πατρίδα" stays with me every year on the same day.

Νίκη Παππά

Kyprianos and the others who were massacred in 1821 always come to mind when I hear "Faith and Fatherland". Katarina writes about her parents' house in Nicosia in 1974 and the phrase they still say - she's right, this sentiment is not easily lost. I also saw the video with Bishop Epifanios from Machira, he spoke very simply and comprehensibly.

Ζωή Λαμπροπούλου

Niki, I completely agree, the phrase "Faith and Homeland" comes to me automatically when I remember Kyprianos. The fact that they still say that phrase in Katarina's house shows how deeply rooted the thing is. How do you usually celebrate the 9th of July, do you go to any event in Limassol?

Radmila Radovanović

Ο Κυπριανός και οι κρεμασμένοι του του is not just history, as λέει και η Καταρίνα. Her parents have taken home in Lefkosia in 1974 and still say "that's why we keep it" - that's exactly how it lasts every year. Η φράση «Πίστη και Πατρίδα» δεν είναι κενή, I see that it really passes from generation to generation.

Joanna Zielińska

Yes, this phrase "Πίστη και Πατρίδα" stays with you for a long time. At our house, my grandmother also repeated something similar after the war, although in a different situation. I wonder what exactly Bishop Epifanios said in this recording from 2022, because a fragment of the article only mentions it.

Miloš Obradović

That's right, Radmila, that phrase "we keep the same phroneim" that your parents repeat after losing their house in Lefkosia in 1974, that is something that cannot be broken easily. Here in Niš, we remember something similar - my grandfather told me after the war that faith and country go together, even if he lost everything. I'm glad you see it passed down from generation to generation, it's not just a word.

Γεωργία Βασιλείου

Yes Zoe, "Faith and Homeland" is one of those phrases that stay and is passed on to children without us realizing it. I usually go to mass in the morning and then I make a stop at the Kyprian monument with the children, to say a few words to them. Are you going with Katarina?

Ελένη Νικολαΐδου

Yes Georgia, I've been doing the same for years now, except I go after noon so the sun doesn't get so hot. My children always remember the "for the Holy Faith" that I used to say to them when they were young. Tell me, does Katarina ever ask you anything specific when you go to the memorial?

Dorota Wiśniewska

Yes, "Πίστη και Πατρίδα" is really memorable, and in our parish choir we sometimes come back to similar words from history. As for Bishop Epifanios, in this recording he mainly talked about how Cyprian prepared for martyrdom and how his attitude gave strength to other clergy in those days. Do you remember what exactly your grandmother repeated after the war?

Φωτεινή Παναγιωτοπούλου

Yes Georgia, I've been doing the same for the last few years, except I go with my grandchildren after mass. Katerina usually asks me about how so many were hanged together, and I simply explain to her about faith and homeland. How do you handle it when the kids are bored?

Łukasz Kowalski

Yes, "Πίστη και Πατρίδα" actually stays in your head for a long time. After the war, my grandmother most often repeated: "Stick to the faith and don't give up the land", precisely in the context of the events in Cyprus. What do you most often sing in your choir from that period?

Αναστασία Μιχαηλίδου

Good thing you take them with you after the service, Fotini. Me and my own daughters, when they are bored, I ask them "what would you do if they told you to deny the Church in order to be saved?" and I let them think a little. How old is Katerina now?