On 19th May 2016, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, successfully concluding his pastoral visit to Kenya, went by air to the Kingdom of Swaziland via South Africa, a country which is geographically situated between South Africa and Mozambique, to accomplish the first missionary visit by an Alexandrian Primate to this country.
On the same day, accompanied by His Eminence Sergios Metropolitan of Good Hope and Protopresbyter Athinodoros Papaevripiades, Patriarchal Exarch in Cyprus and the Hellenic Community heads Mr. George Sofocleous and Mr. Dimitrios Lambrianou, met with the Prime Minister of the Country, Mr. Paul Dlamini and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Dumisani Ndlangamandla at Government House and was warmly welcomed by them. During the meeting the Patriarch had the opportunity to present the two thousand year old presence of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and to develop the multifaceted missionary work and the humanistic efforts throughout the African continent. For this reason His Excellency Prime Minister Dlamini, in the name of the Kingdom, donated a large piece of land to His Beatitude, to easily develop the Orthodox Missionary effort.
His Beatitude and his entourage as well as the members of the Greek Community and the Russians, Ukrainians, Serbian and other Orthodox countries, went to the Church of St George in Mbabane, capital of Swaziland and did the service of the Sanctification for the inauguration and then performed the Artoclasia, and spoke with emotion about the great historic moment of being in and blessing the first Orthodox Church in this country and to be making a start in this way to the evangelization of the Nations in yet another country on the vast African continent.
