On Sunday 17th February 2013, the day on which the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore of Tyre, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa celebrated his name day with a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St Paraskeve in Dar-es-Salaam in the Holy Metropolis of Irinopolis where he is at present on a missionary journey, with con-celebrants His Eminence Ieronymos Metropolitan of Mwanza and His Eminence Dimitrios of Irinopolis.
Present at the Eucharistic Synaxis was the entire Hellenic Community, as well as many Tanzanian, Russian, Ukranian, Serbian and Rumanian Christians, together with members of the Russian Destroyer Marshall Shaposhnikov. Also present was the Apostolic Nuncio of the Vatican in Tanzania, many Diplomats from Orthodox countries, and the hymns were sung in perfect Byzantine manner by the choir of local chanters in Greek and Swahili.
Prior to the end of the Divine Liturgy His Beatitude awarded the Office of Protopresbyter to Fr Simon-Peter Nellist, consecrated three new Readers from the Masai tribe, awarded the Cross of the Apostle Mark colleagues of the Holy Metropolis of Irinopolis and was appropriately addressed by His Eminence Dimitrios of Irinopolis.
Immediately thereafter, he convened a priest’s conference of the local clergy to whom he gave his paternal advice, praised the undergoing missionary efforts under the enlightened guidance of the local Metropolitan Dimitrios and gave gifts and blessings to the priests and the 35 orphans which are being cared for by the Holy Metropolis.
His Beatitude then went on to lay the foundation stone of the Holy Chapel of the Apostle Peter in the area adjacent to the Holy Cathedral, in memory of the recently slain doctor, Petroula Hatzipantazi, who was in Tanzania voluntarily to assist the missionary effort.
In conclusion His Beatitude the Patriarch received wishes and manifest love of the congregation in the Hall of the Hellenic Community of Dar-es-Salaam, where a festive function in his honour followed.
Archim. Meletios Koumanis
