The Holy Services of Great and Holy Week were served in all the Holy Churches of Alexandria with religious devoutness.
In Alexandria, according to the typikon of patriarchal boldness, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa officiated at all the Holy Services, visited all the Parish Communities of the Great City.
Notably, on the evening of Great and Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Friday, the Service of the Holy Passion and the Epitaphios were served at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, officiated by His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II, together with by the Hierarchs of the Alexandrian Throne His Eminence Panteleimon Metropolitan of Naukratis, and His Grace Nicodemus Bishop of Nilopolis.
On the morning of Great and Holy Friday, the Great Hours and the Vespers of the Deposition from the Cross were served at the Patriarchal Monastery of Saint Sava thee Sanctified, while later His Beatitude visited in veneration all the Churches and the Greek Cemetery of the Great City, where he sang the memorial prayers for the repose of the souls of Christians who through the centuries have fallen asleep.
In an atmosphere of devoutness and emotion, His Beatitude this year conducted the procession of the Holy Epitaphios around the Holy Church, accompanied by the sounds of the Philharmonic of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria playing of the Lamentations of the Epitaphios and the funeral marches , followed by the Hellenes of Egypt and the Scouts leading the way.
The Primate of Alexandria thanked those who came and devoutly attended the Services, while addressing the two Hierarchs of the Throne, Metropolitan Panteleimon of Naukratis and Bishop Nicodemus of Nilopolis, he thanked them for serving the Patriarchate even as simple priests when needed, to show, as the Patriarch characteristically pointed out, that: "Our Patriarchate is missionary, it has a history, it has nobility, it has greatness, but also when necessary it serves as simply as Simon of Cyrene to lift the Heavy Cross of the centuries-old legacy that other orthodox brothers may have wanted to ignore but also add burdens to the Throne and to its Primate". His Beatitude continued… "My children, gazing at the Passion of Christ, I turn with pain to the thought of our Orthodox brothers in martyred Ukraine, where for 10 whole years just as tonight I conducted the Service of the Passion. That is why I commiserate with them and ask our crucified Christ to dry the blood of the children that flows unjustly, because they are not the cause of evil…. children are always the hope of this world".
In conclusion, His Beatitude expressed the gratitude of the Patriarchate to His Excellency the President of the country of Egypt, as well as, in the person of the Consul General, thanking Mother Greece.
Present at the worship gatherings, were the Consul General of Greece in Alexandria Mr. Athanasios Kotsionis, the 3rd Secretary at the Embassy in Cairo Mr. George Economou, the Deputy Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Alexandria Mr. Andreas Vafiades together with the Community Council, the Chairlady of the Hellenic Naval Club of Alexandria and of “Ptolemy I” Mrs. Lilika Thlivitou and all the representatives of the Hellenic Associations of the City.
