"Under this sun, there is a place for all people, because we are brothers, without divisions. Because, the world is a neighborhood that we must make more beautiful, more blessed ". This message was sent today, October 9, 2021, by His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, where he officiated at Orthros and the Divine Liturgy, at the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of Saint Savvas the Sanctified in Alexandria, on the occasion of the completion of 17 years of his Patriarchal tenure.
Present were Their Eminences George Metropolitan of Guinea, Narcissus Metropolitan of Naucratis, Savvas Metropolitan of Nubia and His Grace Germanos Bishop of Tamiathus, and the Divine Liturgy was served by the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod Archimandrite Nicodemus Totkas.
It was October 9, when Theodore of Zimbabwe was elected unanimously as the 126th Primate of the Orthodox Church in Africa, with the Alexandrian Primate emotionally remembering those moments, with the bells ringing, the Bishops rewarding his work and the people waiting outside the church to congratulate the then new Patriarch.
"Since the day of my election, I have a word that I always try to keep," said Theodoros, Patriarch of Alexandria,today: "Let no one leave my presence in bitterness. No one should leave my presence feeling disconsolate. That is why my effort and my love are that all – whether near me or far away – may taste a few drops of love, peace and hope, that all of us may walk together, a family in the name of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark”.
At the same time, he commemorated his three predecessors, the late blessed Patriarchs, Nicholas VI, Parthenios III and Petros VII, whose work he continues today in the Alexandrian Church.
Patriarch Theodoros warmly thanked the Metropolitans present in Alexandria today: the Exarch of the Alexandrian Church in Athens, Metropolitan George of Guinea and the Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria, Narcissus Metropolitan of Naucratis, the Exarch of Sudan and Eritrea metropolitan Savvas of Nubia and Bishop Germanos of Tamiathus, as well as the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod Archimandrite Nicodemus Totkas in the person of whom he thanked all the clergy of the Alexandrian Church.
The Primate of Alexandria also expressed his gratitude to Greece for its contribution to the missionary work of the Orthodox Church in Africa in the person of the Consul General of Greece in Alexandria Mr. Athanasios Kotsionis, and also made special reference to the support provided to the Ancient Patriarchate by the Greek Community of Alexandria, "the ancient, historic Queen of Communities throughout Africa", as he defined it and which was represented today by the 1st Vice President of HCA Mr. Andreas Vafiadis,in the presence of the General Secretary of HCA Mr. Dimitris Kavouras, who both congratulated him and conveyed the warmest wishes of the Community Council of the Alexandrian Community. He also thanked the President of the Cyprus Brotherhood of Egypt, Maro Formozi and Cyprus for their warm support, which together with Greece and Egypt contribute to making the Mediterranean a sea of peace. Also, the President of the Association of Greek Scientists of Alexandria "Ptolemy" Lilika Thlivitou and the President of the Lyceum of Greek Women of Alexandria Aliki Antoniou.
In conclusion, he thanked his sister, Roula Mahla, for her presence, and remembered with emotion their late mother, Cleopatra. "We owe everything to our mother Cleopatra from Asia Minor. "May her blessing accompany me", concluded the Alexandrian Primate.
