Today, 17th June, is an important day for His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, and the Orthodox Church of Africa, because exactly thirty years ago, the then Archimandrite Fr. Theodoros Horeftakis was ordained Bishop of Cyrene, at the hands of late Great Patriarch Parthenios III.
Thirty years have passed since then, and filled with emotion the Primate of the Alexandrian Church received the wishes of the Hierarchs of the Alexandrian Church who serve in Egypt, wearing the exact vestments, the cross and a small modest pectoral cross given to him by the then Patriarch Parthenios.
Ascending the Throne on which even then he had received the wishes of the people as Bishop of Cyrene, today as Patriarch he did not hide the feelings of his deep gratitude to all who supported him on his journey, particularly on that day, making special mention of his late patents and the late Hierarchs who were present at his ordination on that day.
Concelebrating with him at the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St Savvas the Sanctified were the Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria Metropolitan Narcissus of Naucratis, the Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo Metropolitan Nicodemus of Memphis, the Patriarchal Vicar for the Arabic speaking community Metropolitan Nicholas of Ermopolis, Metropolitan Niphon of Pilousion (Port Said) and Bishop Germanos of Tamiathus, as well as the clergy.
The festive address on the occasion of the completion of His Beatitude’s ordination as Bishop, was given by the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa, Archimandrite Nicodemus Totkas.
Patriarch Theodoros was elected on 9th October 2004 by the Hierarchs of the Alexandrian Throne unanimously as the 115th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa.
He is the seventh Patriarch of Alexandria of Cretan descent following: Sylvester, Meletios Pegas, Kyrillos Loukaris, Gerasimos Palladas, Gerasimos Spartaliotis and Meletios Metaxakis.
