With all due ecclesiastical order and splendour His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, ordained Archimandrite Niphon Tsavaris, Hegumen of the patriarchal Monastery of St George in Cairo, as Bishop Babylonos.
Their Eminences Elder Metropolitan Petros of Aksum, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Peristeri (Church of Greece), Elder Metropolitan Kallinkos of Pelousion, Metropolitan Nicholas of Ermopolis, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Khartoum, Their Grace Bishop Evgenios of Knossos (Church of Crete), Bishop Gabriel of Mareotis, Bishop Nikodimos of Nitria all participated in the ordination and His Grace Gennadios of was in the sanctuary too. Also present were the Exarch of the Patriarchate of Russia Archimandrite Leonid Gorbatsev, the Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Angarthos (Heraklion, Crete) Archimandrite Gerasimos Marmatakis (where Bishop Niphon was tonsured a monk), the Hegumen of the Monastery of Arkadi (Crete) Archimandrite Myron, the Hegumen of the Monastery of Preveli Archimandrite Iakovos, the Hergumen of the Attali Balli Monastery Archimandrite Parthenios, and many clergy from the Church of Greece.
Also present were representatives of the Greek and Cypriot Diplomatic Officials and of the Hellenic Community of cairo, among whom were His Excellency the Ambassador of Cyprus Mr. Constantinos Leontiou, the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Greece, the Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Cairo Mr. Christos Kavalis and many lay people.
His Beatitude spoke of the personality and many years of service of the new Bishop Niphon, and His Grace gratefully thanked the Alexandrian Primate for his love and kindness, as well as the members of the Holy Synod for their trust. The new Bishop will continue his service as Hegumen of the Monastery of St George.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy the Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of Angarathos, Archimandrite Gerasimos, gave His Beatitude a piece of the relics of St Kyrillos Loukareos, Patriarch of Alexandria and Ecumenical Patriarch, which the Ecumenical patriarch had donated to the Monastery.
After the Divine Liturgy in the Guest Hall of the Monastery of St George, His Beatitude, in the presence of all the Hierarchs, clergy and official Diplomatic and Community Leaders of Cairo, and of all who had arrived from Alexandria and Greece, awarded the Medal of the Highest Order of St Savvas to His Eminence Chrysostomos of Peristeri, recognizing and praising in a few words his support , understanding and multifaceted assistance by His Eminence to the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
His Eminence Chrysostomos of Peristeri, visibly moved, thanked His Beatitude and said that this honour belongs to the Holy Metropolis of Peristeri and to all the elite colleagues and contributors to his daily work, clergy and laity. He stressed that he will continue to assist His Beatitude and the Patriarchate with all his strength.
An official lunch followed hosted by the New Bishop Niphon of Babylonos, in honour of His Beatitude and all present at his ordination at the Hellenic Centre in Cairo.
So, with the ordination of His Grace Niphon of Babylonos, Hegumen of the historical Patriarchal Monastery of St George in Cairo, the activities of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate for 2009 were completed to the Glory of God.
For the first time His Beatitude established the institution of Proposals by the Synodal Hierarchs and so the Holy Synod had the opportunity to deal with vital and burning pastoral and missionary issues throughout Africa.
The ordination of Deaconesses was unanimously rejected as it is not deemed necessary and essential for this to be instituted in the praxis of the Orthodox Church on the African Continent.
All the Synodal Hierarchs have already departed for their provinces have received guidance and orders from His Beatitude for the continuation of their multifaceted and arduous humanistic and ecclesiastical work, filled with spiritual strength and instruction from their participation in the work of the Holy Synod.
