HIS BEATITUDE IS WARMLY WELCOMED AT THE HOLY METROPOLIS OF HELSINKI

On Tuesday 24th June 2014, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, accompanied by His Eminence Leon, Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland, participated in prayer at the Divine Liturgy conducted by His Eminence Ambrose, Metropolitan of Helsinki, for the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos, in Helsinki. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, at which the Ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus to Helsinki, Messrs. Karambalis and Kritiotis respectively, were present, His Beatitude bestowed a paternal blessing on the congregation, was taken on a tour of the historic Church and in its crypt he had the opportunity of expressing the gratitude of the Church of Alexandria to the gathered clergy and lay members of the parish, for their ceaseless contribution to the missionary efforts of the Patriarchate. On the evening of the same day His Beatitude visited the Camp of the Holy Metropolis of Helsinki in Kaunisniemi. At the Holy Church of the Camp, dedicated to St Anna and St James the Brother of the Lord, he conducted the Artoklasia (Breaking of the Bread) and then in the lounge he shared with the Orthodox Youth of the Finnish capital memories and experiences from his long missionary activity in Africa. He watched the programme which the youngsters of the Camp had prepared for his visit and was most enthusiastic of the rendering in perfect Greek of the hymns to the Theotokos composed by St Nektarios of Pentapolis. His Beatitude sang with the youngsters and walked with them on the banks of Lake Luppi.