His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa proclaimed His Excellency Mr Dimitrios Christofias as a Great Benefactor of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, in a modest ceremony which took place at the Presidential Mansion on the afternoon of Monday 3rd September 2012
Present at the ceremony were His Excellency the Minister to the President Mr Titos Christofides,Her Excellency the Ambassador of Egypt to Cyprus Mrs. Menha Bakhoum, His Eminence George Metropolitan of Accra, the Reverend Protopresbyter Father Athenodoros Papaevripiades, Exarch of the Patriarchate in Cyprus and the newly-appointed Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Botswana, Mr George Kazantzis.
His Beatitude thanked Mr Christofias for the donation of a piece of land in Geri for the building of an Institution of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Cyprus, which will be dedicated to the repatriated expatriate Cypriots and it will provide social services to those in need; he also expressed his emotions and the eternal gratitude of the Church of Alexandria to him for his philanthropic feelings which led him to this great benevolence, which seeks to benefit our fellow human beings, especially those suffering, in many ways.
In his turn Mr Christofias with great emotion thanked His Beatitude the Patriarch for the honour given to him and noted that the Church of Alexandria needs the support of state authorities in the toilsome struggle to help suffering Africans.
His Beatitude introduced the members of his entourage to the President, and in referring to the honorary presence of the Ambassador of Egypt at the ceremony, he spoke of the recent meetings he had with the new President of Egypt , His Excellency Mr. Morsi, and the various issues they discussed regarding the general presence and activities of the Patriarchate in the Land of the Nile and on the African continent.
Furthermore, due to the presence of the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Botswana he stressed particularly the importance of the placement of Orthodox witness and missionary service in this rapidly developing country of Southern Africa and the efforts to build the first Orthodox Church in the capital, Gaborone.
