On 5th and 6th August 2010, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa visited the Holy Metropolis of Pilousion in Port Said, to officiate at the festival of the beautiful Holy Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.
On 5th August His Beatitude officiated at the service of Great Vespers and preached the homily for the large congregation, and the next day, 6th August, he conducted the Divine Liturgy together with His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Kallinikos of Pilousion and His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Ermopolis as well as His Grace Niphon Bishop of Babylonos. Prior to the end of the Eucharistic gathering, His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Kallinikos of Pilousion spoke about the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and thanked His Beatitude for his presence. He then gave him a valuable hierarchal pectoral cross as well as commemorative gifts to the attending Hierarchs, priests, dignitaries and the African students of the Patriarchal Academy of Alexandria “St Athanasios” who sang the ecclesiastical hymns together with the Arabic-speaking orthodox chanters.
Immediately afterwards, His Eminence hosted an official lunch in honour of His Beatitude, attended by the hierarchs who honoured the feast, the priests representing the Coptic, Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches, His Excellency the Ambassador of Greece in Egypt Mr Christodoulos Lazaris, the Chairmen of the Hellenic and Arabic-speaking Communities of Port Said, Cairo, Mansura, Damietta and Ibrahimia, the Honourable Consular Harbour Master in Port Said Mr. Stylianos Partsafas, the great benefactor of the Metropolis of Pilousion Mr. Iosif Hamis el Hosari, local officials and other dignitaries.
