THE ALEXANDRIAN PRIMATE WELCOMED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SUDAN

On Sunday 18th February 2018, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, in the absence of the President, met with the Deputy President of the Government of Sudan, His Excellency Mr. HASSABO MOHAMED AHMED, at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, accompanied by the Minister of Orientation, National Legacies and Religions Mr. ABUBAHR OSMAN.

His Beatitude thanked the Vice President for the hospitality, spoke of the historic bonds between Greece and Sudan, the relations between Christians and Muslims, the brotherhood of nations, and the social efforts of the Patriarchate on the African Continent. He expressed his satisfaction that Christians are free in this country to worship God and promised to pray for the peace and progress of Sudan.

For his part, the Vice-President welcomed the Patriarch to the country and referred to the Sudanese Legislation on Religious Freedoms. He said that the people of Sudan are made up of many races of Arabs, Nubians, Arnautians. Also, many Europeans and Africans reside in Sudan, but also others who do not know their origins and are free to perform their religious duties. The only thing that separates Christians from Muslims is their home address, said Vice President.

Thereafter, the Patriarch offered a gift to the Vice-President, of the Patriarchal Emblem, and finally His Beatitude and the Minister of Orientation gave a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace.

On the evening of the same day, the Alexandrian Primate went to the Khartoum International Airport, where prior to his departure for Cairo on Egypt Air, he was greeted by the Minister responsible for Church Affairs, the Director and Staff of the Directorate of Churches, the National Security of Churches, the Honorary Consul of Greece, the Public Relations Officer of the Egyptian Embassy, the Coptic Metropolitan of Khartoum and the local Metropolitan.