On 24th and 25th April 2012, with great splendor, the Feast of the Throne of the Church of Alexandria took place, on the occasion of the holy commemoration of the Feast of the Saint Apostle and Evangelist Mark, its Enlightener, first Bishop and Custodian.
On the Eve of the feast, at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Alexandria, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, officiated at the Service of Great Vespers together with His Grace Gabriel, Bishop of Mareotis and Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria.
On the next day, 25th April 2012, His Beatitude conducted the Divine Liturgy with concelebrants His Grace Nicholas Bishop of Amathountos, a Hierarch from the Church of Cyprus, His Grace Gabriel Bishop of Mareotis, His Grace Niphon Bishop of Nitria, Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo, and His Grace Niphon, Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of St George in Old Cairo. The homily was preached by the Very reverend Archimandrite Niphon Poulopoulos, Deputy Secretary of the Holy Synod.
Before the end of the Eucharistic gathering His Beatitude awarded Patriarchal Offices to five distinguished personalities. He awarded the Offices ofGreat Archon Teacher to Professor Antoios Kounadis, an Academic, Archon Hartophylax to Mr Theodoros Georgakis, a Lawyer and former Mayor of Helioupolis Attikis, Archon Dikaiophylax to Mr. Konstantinos Tsiridis, a Lawyer, Archon Ekdikos to Mr Nektarios Polychroniou, a Lawyer and Honorary Consul of Botswana in Athens and Archon Maestros to the Musicologist Mr. Petros Papaemmanuel.
Present at the Eucharistic gathering we His Excellency the former Minister Mr Andreas Zaimis, Great Archon Referendarios, the Consul General of Greece in Alexandria Mr. Christos Kapodistrias, the President of SAE Mr Stephanos Tamvakis, the Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria Mr Ioannis Siokas, representatives of Greek and Arabic speaking societies and associations of the Great City and the entire Greek community.
