HISTORIC ENTHRONEMENT OF THE NEW METROPOLITAN OF AXUM

On Sunday 3rd March 2019, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, conducted a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in the Holy Cathedral of St Froumentios in Addis Ababa, concelebrating with Their Eminences Metropolitans Chrysostomos of Dodone (representing His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios), Ioannis of Zambia, Narcissus of Accra, Daniel the local Metropolitan of Axum and His Grace Thodoros Bishop of Babylon.

Prior to the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Alexandrian Primate awarded the office of “Great Archimandrite of the Throne” to the Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Axum, the Very Reverend Chrysostomos Barberis, and to the Honourable Chairman of the Hellenic Community Mr. Dimitrios Sykas the medal of the “Commander of the Lion” of the Throne.

Then, in the order of the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria, the New Metropolitan’s Enthronement Ceremony was carried out with magnificence.

Present at the Enthronement Ceremony were Their Excellencies the Ambassadors of Greece Mr. Nicholas Patakias, the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Arabic Republic of Egypt Mr. George Tawdros, the Ambassadors of Spain, Romania and Serbia. Also present were the Honourable Consul of Greece in Addis Ababa, Mr. Emmanuel Koumbarakis, the Honourable Consuls of Greece in Djibouti Mrs. Aikaterini Stouraiti-Mentzetimi, the Honourable Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Addis Ababa Mr. Dimitrios Sykas and the Lady of the Churches Mrs. Aikaterini Belefanti-Sofianou, representing the E.C. of the Brotherhood of Office bearers of the Alexandrian Throne, the Honourable World Laureate Dr Tebebe Demane Berhan, through whom His Beatitude expressed gratitude to the President and the Government of Ethiopia, the Representative of the General Police Administration of the city, as well as members of the former Royal family of the country.

Also present at the Enthronement Ceremony were the Nuncio of the Vatican in Ethiopia, the representative of the Cardinal, representatives of the Armenian Church and the parish Priest of the German Church in Addis Ababa. After the Enthronement Ceremony the speech of His Beatitude the Patriarch followed, in which he mentioned the historic pat of the Holy Metropolis of Axum and its importance for the Alexandrian Throne, expressing his joy that there were so many people present in the Church.

He referred to the presence of His Eminence Chrysostomos of Dodone, expressing grateful thanks to Bartholomaios the Ecumenical Patriarch for the presence of his representative at the Ceremony.

His Eminence Chrysostomos Metropolitan of Dodone, Representative of Bartholomaios the All Holy Ecumenical Patriarch, conveyed the prayers of His All Holiness and gave on his behalf a Hierarchal Pectoral Cross, as each Metropolotan of Axum is the connection between the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the Ethiopian Patriarchate.

Then, His Eminence Daniel, Metropolitan of Axum read his Enthronement Speech. After the ceremony an official lunch was hosted by the Greek Community of Addis Ababa in honour of the Alexandrian Primate.

Late in the evening of the same day, His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros and his entourage departed for Egypt.