On 16th October 2010, His beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa officiated at Vespers at the Patriarchal Chapel of Saints Theodoroi, prior to the end of which the ceremony of the Great Message of Ioannis, the elected Bishop of Mozambique, newly arrived from South Africa, took place.
During the prayer gathering, attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Zakynthos, His Grace Gennadios Bishop of Botswana, His Grace Gabriel Bishop of Mareotis Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria and His Grace Dionysios of Fotiki, His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Culture and Vice Chairman of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy Mr. Telemahos Hytiris and the Honourable Parliamentarian Mr. Anastasios Nerantzis, His Beatitude addressed His Grace Bishop Gennadios who is departing the Patriarchal See, and spoke of his seven year productive service as Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod and gave him a pectoral cross and a staff.
He also gave pectoral hierarchal crosses to His Eminence the Metropolitan of Zakynthos as a gift of gratitude for his many kind deeds to himself during his hierarchal service and his ceaseless love for and support of the Apostolic and Patriarchal Throne. He also gave a hierarchal pectoral cross to His grace Bishop of Fotikis and a cross to Protopresbyter Panayiotis Kapodistrias, Hierarchal Vicar General of Zakynthos.
In the Throne Room His Excellency Mr Hytiris was awarded the Cross of St Mark and Mr Anastasios Nerantzis was awarded the Lion of the Enlightener of the Alexandrian Church. They both then met privately with His Beatitude in his Patriarchal Office and went on to visit the Patriarchal Library of Alexandria.
On Sunday 17th October 2010, at the Patriarchal Church of St Savvas the Sanctified in Alexandria, the ordination of the elected Bishop of Mozambique will take place and on Monday 18th October 2010 the International Secretariat of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy will meet in the Patriarchal Library.
