On 7th December 2017, His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, continuing his venerations on the Holy Russian land, went to the naval city of Kronstadt, where he visited the Museum-Residence where the modern St John of Kronstadt lived, who was distinguished by the purity of his life, his Orthodox spirituality and his life in Christ.
He then went on to visit the enormous, replica of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople Holy Church of St John of Ronstadt, which belongs to the Russian Navy , as well as the burial chapel of St Xeni of St Petersburg, the “fool for Christ”, within the old cemetery of the city.
Immediately afterwards, he went on a pilgrimage visit to the Holy Stavropygian Convent of St John (Novodevichy), where he awarded a medal το the Venerable Abbess Nun Sophia.
A meeting followed with His Excellency the President of the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg Mr. Viacheslav Makarov, in the Mariinsky Palace.
His Beatitude was accompanied by Their Eminences the Metropolitans Varsonofy of St Petersburg and Latoga and Meletios of Carthage, the Archbishops Leonid of Vladikavkaz, Ambrose of Petergof, Sergius of Kusevich, His Grace Nazarius Bishop of Kronstadt and other clergy.
The President of the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg, Mr. Viacheslav Makarov, emphasized that Orthodoxy must be a way of life for every person and that with God’s help, Russia will overcome all difficulties.
His Beatitude the Patriarch recalled that Alexandria has been in existence for more than two thousand years and was founded by the Great Commander Alexander, who built more that 40 cities, but that Alexandria was his favourite. The Apostle Mark visited the Great City, because it was the entre of education and culture. That is why, many of the great Fathers of the Church went there, to receive excellent Theological education. Today, Egypt is a country which is threatened by global terrorism: “Recently, there have been many terrorist attacks on Christian churches. The same happened, some time ago, on the Sinai peninsula. I am afraid that the situation in Egypt will affect the entire Middle East. We discussed this issue with President Vladimir Putin. There are survival problems for Middle Eastern Christians and for refugees. Millions of people from Libya are trying to reach Europe. Also in Syria and Sudan. We must act immediately to relieve them and to stop the wars’, said Alexander Primate.
