COMPLETION OF HIS BEATITUDE’s PASTORAL VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA
On Monday in Bright Week, 5th April 2010, the lengthy Pastoral visit to South Africa by His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa was completed. His Beatitude departed by air from the International Airport in Johannesburg bound for Egypt together with Archimandrite Panteleimon Arathymos, Director of the Private patriarchal office
At the airport His Beatitude was seen off by His Eminence Seraphim Metropolitan of Johannesburg and Pretoria, His Excellency the Ambassador of Greece in South Africa Mr. Spyridon Theoharopoulos, a representative of the Ambassador of Egypt, the Consul General of Greece in Johannesburg Mrs. Vasiliki Gounaris, the Consul General of Cyprus Ms. Elena Christoforou, and the Honourable Chairman of the Office Bearers of South Africa Mr Alexandros Baladakis.
The pastoral visit of His Beatitude was a source of joy, spiritual pleasure and upliftment for the thousands of Orthodox faithful of the local Church of the Southern-most end of Africa.
His Beatitude attended the great celebrations for our National Day of 25th March in Johannesburg and Pretoria, met with the Ambassadors of Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and the remaining Orthodox countries, the members of the Hellenic and Cypriot Communities, societies and associations, visited missionary centres of the Holy Metropolis of Johannesburg and Pretoria, handed out gifts and financial assistance to them and visited also most of the parish communities. He held a Synaxis with the clergy and officiated at the Holy Services of Holy Week and the Resurrection.