EVE OF THE NATIVITY IN CAIRO

His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, has been in the Egyptian Capital since yesterday, to officiate at the festive functions on the occasion of the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ, according to Patriarchal custom.

Specifically, on the Eve of the Nativity, His Beatitude officiated during the Royal Hours and the Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great at the Patriarchal Church of St Nicholas in the Cairo Vicariate and then he went on to receive the Hellenic Scouts Group who sang the traditional carols for him and offered him appropriate wishes.

Afterwards, His Beatitude, accompanied by His Eminence Nikodimos, Metropolitan of Memphis, Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo, visited the Hellenic Old Age Home of the Hellenic Community where, in the presence of the Members of the Administrative Committee, he blessed and wished the elderly people in the institute and gave them sweets.

He then visited each patient in the adjacent Hellenic Hospital and exchanged wishes with them as well as with the elderly in the Arabic Speaking Orthodox Old Age Home of St Nicholas in Heliopolis.

In fact, during the above visits, His Beatitude was warmly welcomed not only Greek and Arabic speaking Orthodox Scouts, but also representatives of Coptic Christian youth, who sang in Coptic as well as Greek, festive Christmas hymns and troparia.