HIS BEATITUDE ENDS HIS VISIT TO THE HOLY METROPOLIS OF ZIMBABWE
The visit of His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa to Zimbabwe, which was marked by the celebrations of the 7th anniversary of the election of the Alexandrian Primate to the Throne of the Apostle Mark, ended on Wednesday 12thOcotber 2011, when he departed from Harare.
It was a particularly significant visit, not only because His Beatitude met with and blessed hundreds of African Orthodox Christians (among whom most were young people) at the missionary centres of St Nektarios and Marondera (75 km from the capital), but also because it was an extremely emotional time as he was welcomed by the great, historic Hellenic Community in Harare and celebrated this historicand day with them. It is equally significant that he awarded the medal of the Lion of St Mark with a star to the Lady of the Churches, Ariadne Psillos. He also attended the annual prize-giving ceremony of the 840 pupils of the Hellenic International Academy in Harare, where he donated 30,000 US$ from the Second Throne Patriarchate and also instituted a prize for environmental studies.
Also significant was his meeting with the Egyptian Ambassador in Harare, with whom he discussed the Land of the Nile and the current developments. At all his meetings His Beatitude was accompanied by His Eminence Seraphim Metropolitan of Zimbabwe and Angola and His Grace Nikodimos, Bishop of Nitria and Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo.
During his departure from Harare International Airport on his way to Blantyre in Malawi, His Beatitude was bid farewell by the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Greek Embassy in Harare Mr Stephanos Ioannides, the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Egyptian Embassy Mr Hosham Basari, the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Harare Mr Nestor Nestoras, the General Secretary of the Hellenic Community in Harare Mr Panayiotis Psillos, the Chairman of the Hellenic Cyprus Brotherhood of Zimbabwe Mr Kostas Klostris, the Chairman of the Cephalonian Society Mr Panagis Therotokatos, the Honorary Chairlady of the Hellenic Ladies of Zimbabwe Mrs Vasiliki Divaris and the Honorary Chairman of the Hellenic Community Mr Ioannis Stougiannides.