On 26th May 2013, following a heart attack, the mitre-wearing Archimandrite of the Alexandrian Throne, George el Samaa passed away in the Holy Church of the Most Holy Thgeotokos in Heliopolis in Cairo, during the liturgy being conducted by His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. Immediately following the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy and the inauguration of the church, His Beatitude consucted the memorial prayers for the repose of the soul of the deceased member of the clergy, whose funeral service will take place on Tuesday 28th May in the afore-mentioned church where the late Father George served with great zeal for many years.
BIOGRAPHY
The late Archimandrite George el Samaa was born on 18th May 1942 in Fayoum in Upper Egypt. He was a graduate of the Arabic Commercial High School and of the Theological faculty of the University of Athens. He was ordained Deacon on 24th March 1985, by the then Bishop Petros of Babylonia later the Patriarch of Alexandria, in the Holy Church of the Most Holy Theotokos Heliopolis and then ordained as Priest on 10th August 1990 by Porphyrios Bishop of Babylonia, in the same church, where he served for many years becoming much loved by the Arabic-speaking and Greek-speaking flock. On 25th December 2006 he was awarded the Office of Mitre-wearing Archimandrite by His Beatitude Theodoros II Patriarch of Alexandria, in recognition of his services to and his love for the Throne; on 10th November 2012 His Beatitude, as a sign of honour, allowed the late Priest the privilege of carrying a staff.
