HIS BEATITUDE VISITS MOSCOW

     His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa is visiting Moscow following an invitation By His Beatitude Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the International Institute of Unity of Orthodox Nations to receive its award for the year 2011.

     His Beatitude the Alexandrian Patriarch arrived in the Russian capital on the afternoon of 20th January 2012 accompanied by the Very Reverend Archimandrite Panteleimon Arathymos, Chief-Secretary of the Holy Synod and the Very Reverend Archimandrite Leonid Gorbacev, Exarch of the Russian Church in Egypt. At the International Airport in  Moscow His Beatitude was welcomed His Eminence Juvenaly Metropolitan of Kolomna as the representative of His Beatitude Patriarch Kirill who is ill, His Eminence Athanasios Metropolitan of Cyrene Exarch of the Alexandrian Patriarchate in Moscow, Their Excellencies the Ambassadors of Greece and Egyp tin Russia, Hierarchs, priests and State officials.

     On the morning of 21st January His Beatitude visited as is customary, the Embassy of Greece in Russia where he was warmly welcomed by His Excellency the Ambassador Mr. Michael Spinellis. He then went on to venerate at the Holy Monastery of the Holy Protection in Moscow, where, in front of the holy relics of St Matrona the Blind he offered up prayers and awarded the Cross of St Mark to the Venerable Abbess the Nun Theophania.

     His Beatitude then went to the Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Alexandria where brief prayers were said at the Holy Church and he attended an official lunch hosted in his honour  by His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Cyrene.