On the morning of Thursday 16th October 2014, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, accompanied by Their Eminences the Metropolitans George of Guinea and Gregory of Cameroon, arrived at the “Archbishop Makarios III” Patriarchal Academy in the district of Riruta in Nairobi. He was warmly welcomed there by His Eminence Makarios Metropolitan of Kenya, Kenyan clergy, the teaching staff and the students of the Academy.
At the Holy Church of St Makarios which is situated within the Academy, a doxology was sung and His Eminence Makarios welcomed him and spoke of the efforts completed by him in the first decade of his Patriarchal tenure. He spoke also of the programme of studies of the Patriarchal Academy at which students from various African countries study, and on behalf of all he presented him with an icon of the Theotokos of the Orphan children with Christ surrounded by African children.
Visibly moved by the precious gift His Beatitude expressed his joy at being in Kenya again, on the first stop of his journey of love which he began at the onset of his second decade as Patriarch, spoke of the multifaceted work done by the Patriarchate throughout the African continent and thanked all those who support the work of the Patriarchate in Kenya, making special mention of the Orthodox Churches of Greece, Cyprus and Finland, as well as the IOCC. Following his reply, His Beatitude consecrated as readers the first-year students of the Patriarchal Academy and gave them paternal advice, emphasizing that they are the future of the Orthodox Church in Africa.
The Patriarch then went on to preside over a clergy-laity synaxis and gave guidance and paternal advice. Speakers at the synaxis were the Metropolitans of Guinea and Cameroon, who enlarged on the structure of the Orthodox Church and the differences from other dogmas. A discussion followed with the priests and the chairmen of the Church Councils on various issued to do with the local Church. His Beatitude then visited the entire Academy, the lecture halls, the dormitories of the boarding areas, the library, the Bishopric, the areas which house the volunteer missionaries from Greece, Cyprus, Finland and America, as well as the graves of the late Fr Ioannis Eko and of Mother Stavritsa, where he sang the trisagion memorial prayers.
At noon he had lunch with all the students in the refectory of the Academy and then enjoyed hymns sung by the Patriarchal choir as well as a programme of traditional song and dances.
