On January 23 2023 His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa had a cordial meeting with His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Ali Talaat, Ambassador of Egypt to the Holy See. During the meeting, His Excellency expressed his joy at the visit of His Beatitude, with whom he has a personal friendship since his years as a diplomat in Kenya, while he assured him of the undivided support of the Egyptian state in the multifaceted work of the Alexandrian Church.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Reverend Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Holy See for relations with states and international organizations.
This was followed by an official event of the worldwide Community of Saint Egidio in honor of His Beatitude in a central Church of Rome. The His Beatitude was addressed by the founder of the Community, Professor Andrea Ricardi, former Minister and its President Mr. Marco Impagliazzo, underlining the importance of the visit of the Archbishop and Patriarch of Alexandria to the See of the Bishop of Elder Rome. Furthermore, they historically developed the decisive contribution of Alexandrian theology in the formation of the doctrinal teaching of the Church under heaven, praising the modern missionary activity of the Ancient Patriarchate as the practical application of the principles of faith on the African continent.
During his speech, His Beatitude underlined the need to intensify the common struggle in favor of our fellow human beings regardless of racial, ethnic, linguistic or religious divisions, “…the fight against every violent and warlike arbitrariness that leads the humanity to impoverishment, the imperative need to “replace ” introversion with the emptying movement of love towards the other and even the least of our brothers, the overcoming of the phobic spiritual insecurity of “supposed falsification, threat or deterioration of our faith” and the courageous declaration of unshakable certainty about the faith of our Fathers, which gives us the joy and strength of honest conversation with every brother around us without reservations, pretensions or self-centered “outbursts of spiritual superiority” over others. Then the fellow man as a living image of God, worthy of all honor, service and respect, becomes one more reason for personal sanctification and not a personal hell (Jean Paul Sartre)”.τιμής, διακονίας και σεβασμού, καθίσταται μία ακόμη αφορμή προσωπικού αγιασμού και όχι προσωπική κόλαση (Jean Paul Sartre)».
A festive meeting followed, after which His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and his entourage left for Egypt.
