During their meeting which took place in Cairo today at the Patriarchal Vicariate in the Hamzawi district of the Egyptian capital, Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and All Africa and the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Church of England, Justin Welby, joined their voices for the reconciliation of the nations.
Citing the words of the Archbishop of the Anglican Church, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Africa pointed out that “Division between churches and between nations is a luxury. So, from the second see of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, in Cairo, we proclaim together with His Eminence, the reconciliation of the nations”, said Patriarch Theodoros, warmly welcoming the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He continued: “We are a small neighborhood, where we all have the right to live under the Sun of Righteousness. To the immigrants, to the refugees, to the people who have nowhere to lay their heads, today we unite our voices and say “Christ in the midst of us” to give us peace and love “.
For his part, the Anglican Archbishop gave his own message, expressing his joy for the reception at the Patriarchate of Alexandria: “I wish the friendship between our churches to develop and deepen and the love to become more and more true. May the Father of us all continue to support the church for world peace. I think we have to defend ourselves with peace and not with weapons.”
It was the first time that the Archbishop of the Anglican Church was received by the current Patriarch Theodoros. And in fact on a very symbolic day, as it coincided with the completion of exactly 17 years since the election of Patriarch Theodoros, who offered the Anglican religious leader the symbol of the Church of Alexandria, a book with the history of the first See of the Church of Alexandria and his personal bishop’s staff as a symbolic gift.
“Many Patriarchs have visited the Anglican Church,” said Patriarch Theodoros. “Photios, Meletios, Parthenios, went to England for joint conferences with the Anglican Church, which he thanked for donating medicines to those in need in Africa and for its general contribution to the missionary work of the Orthodox Church. Africa, which is the other important common element of the two churches, which, as the Anglican Archbishop said, “is a continent full of life and faith, but also full of wars with its people suffering from its problems”.
“Anglicans and Orthodox are fighting as Churches to overcome the suffering of the African people,” said the Anglican Archbishop. And as he added, “also, our common element is our love for service to man”.
It should be noted that referring to Egypt, Patriarch Theodoros stressed his joy for the support enjoyed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate from the Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.
The Patriarch of Alexandria received the Anglican Archbishop, in the presence of the Exarch of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Athens, Metropolitan George of Guinea, the Patriarchal Vicar for the Arabic Speakers Metropolitan Nicholas of Ermopolis (Tanta), the Abbot of the Patriarchal Monastery of St George Old Cairo Fr. Damaskinos, the Great Ecclesiarch of the Alexandrian Church Fr. Stefanos and Fr. Elpidophoros.
The Anglican Archbishop was accompanied by Anglican Bishops in Egypt.
It should be noted that the Archbishop of Canterbury was given a guided tour of the historic church of St. Nicholas Hamzawi, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Egyptian capital built in the 11th century AD, expressing his admiration for the architectural tradition and heritage that exudes the ecclesistic tradition of the Alexandrian Church.
In conclusion, the Patriarch of Alexandria invited the Archbishop of the Anglican Church to visit the See of the Ancient Patriarchate in Alexandria.
