19th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PATRIARCHAL ELECTION OF HIS BEATITUDE THE POPE AND PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA AND ALL AFRICA

On Monday, October 9, 2023, the 19th anniversary of the election and elevation of the His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, to the Apostolic and Patriarchal Throne of Saint Mark was celebrated with dignity and modesty in Alexandria (October 9 2004).

At the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Saint Savvas the Sanctified, His Beatitude officiated during the Divine Liturgy, together with Their Eminences Nikodemos Metropolitan of Memphis, Patriarchal Commissioner of Cairo, Panteleimon of Naucratis, Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, Narcissus of Pelusium, Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria and Germanos of Tamiathuss, Head of the above Holy Monastery.

A Doxology was then sung for the auspicious day. The festive address was delivered by His Eminence Germanos Metropolitan of Tamiathus. He referred with respect to the joyous day of October 9, 2004, the day of the unanimous election of Theodoros of Kyrenia, Cameroon and Zimbabwe as the Venerable Primate of the Alexandrian Throne, which he defined as “a gift from God” to the fulness of the ancient Church in Africa, and described the characteristics of his personality, primarily those of humility, inexhaustible love, unfailing joy, great charity and an uninterrupted liturgical and prayerful life. He also listed important projects, which were carried out during the 19-year patriarchal tenure of His Beatitude.

With emotion, His Beatitude, after expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Providence of the Triune God, thanked His Holiness for his kind words, as well as the Their Eminences the Metropolitans of Memphis, Naucratis and Pelusium, who are his direct colleagues in the Patriarchal See, through whose persons he expressed his grateful thanks to all the Hierarchs and clergy of the Throne, who sacrificially and conscientiously minister to the suffering African fellow man.

He commemorated His late Predecessors and the deceased Hierarchs, who worked hard to ensure the unadulterated Apostolic Legacy, the historical continuity and the promotion of the Second Throne Patriarchate, underlined his gratitude to the Members of the Holy and Sacred Synod, who unanimously elected him Primate , while concluding by saying: “On the day of the election of my humble person, before the same Holy Chalice, from which today we partook of the Holy Communion, while at that time the holy Hierarchs cast their honorable votes within it, I promised from the depths of my soul, not to allow any person leave inconsolable from me and from our Patriarchate. I have been trying to keep this promise all these years and I will continue to keep it, for as many years as the Lord allows.”

He also decorated the outgoing Consul General of Greece in Alexandria, His Excellency Mr. Athanasios Kotsioni, the new Ambassador of Greece to Nigeria with the honorary distinction of the Superior Commander of the Order of Saint Savvas Hegiasmenos, as well as his wife Mrs. Ioanna Dimitriou-Kotsoni with the corresponding Commander, expressing thanks for their admirable collaboration. He then, in turn,  offered to the “Athanasios the Great” Patriarchal Academy of Alexandria a holy icon of Jesus Christ the Feeder, carrying in His arms a poor African child.

A festive gathering followed in the AGuest Hall of the Monastery, where His Beatitude was duly addressed on the anniversary of his election by the Ambassador Mr. Athanasios Kotsionis, the President of the Hellenic Naval Club and the Association of Greek Scientists of Alexandria Mrs. Irini Lilika Thlivitou and the President of the Lyceum of Greek Ladies Mrs. Aliki Antoniou.

In conclusion the Honourable President of the Greek Community of Alexandria, Mr. Andreas Vafiadis, hosted an official dinner at its premises in honor of the His Beatitude, which was attended by the aforementioned Hierarchs, Presidents of historical Greek Associations and Societies, the Clergy of the Holy Archdiocese of Alexandria, the teachers of the Greek schools and the students of the Patriarchal Academy.

Photographs by Mr. Gregory Haliakopoulos, Alexandria