Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens, head of the Church of Greece, has called for a renewed effort to restore Greece’s spiritual heritage to the education of young people, saying that youth participation in prayer brings hope and renewal to society.

The archbishop made the remarks during a church service at the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Thessaloniki, where nearly 1,000 schoolchildren from 37 schools in the city and surrounding region took part. According to the local metropolitan press service, the students joined church and children’s choirs in performing ancient Byzantine hymns during the service.

Addressing the congregation, Archbishop Ieronymos said that Greece possesses an “invaluable spiritual treasure” in its centuries-old church tradition and the teachings of the Church Fathers, but that this heritage is not being fully used today.

“Our task is not to search for new ideas, but to rediscover and understand what we already have,” he said. “We must find the keys that open our minds and allow us to draw from this tradition something that can become a way of life.”

The archbishop directed special remarks to the students attending the service, emphasizing that their participation in church prayer represents more than a cultural activity.

“When your voices praise the Mother of God and your hearts take part in the prayer of the Church, the world begins to breathe differently. Hope becomes reality,” he said.

According to the archbishop, the Christian faith offers the world a “new life” grounded in love, forgiveness, and respect for others. Young people, he added, have the potential to carry these values into schools, families, and wider society.

Archbishop Ieronymos concluded by stressing that cooperation between the Church and the educational system plays an important role in passing spiritual values to future generations and can bear “good fruits” for the whole of society.