VISIT BY THE MILKITE PATRIARCH OF THE MIDDLE EAST TO THE ALEXANDRIAN PRIMATE

On 10 January 2015, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, together with His Eminence Gabriel Metropolitan of Leontopolis, Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria and His Grace Meletios Bishop of Naukratis, received the customary visit at the Patriarchal See of the Melkite Patriarch Gregory II, of Antioch and all the East, who is in Egypt, and who was accompanied by  Their Eminences George, Patriarchal Vicar in Egypt and Sudan, Joseph General Vicar in Jerusalem and other clergy.
 

During the meeting the Melkite Patriarch briefed the Alexandrian Primate about the distressing situation of Christians in Syria, as well as the tragic account of the war, where 60,000 Christians have become refugees and 8000 people from the outskirts of Damascus are fed daily by the Church.
 

His Beatitude stated that he will undertake initiatives with the rest of the Primates of the Churches of the Middle East regarding the issue of the refugees, with the assistance of the Greek Counselor on Immigration issues in the European Union, Mr. Dimitrios Avramopoulos.  
He also had the opportunity of presenting his future missionary journeys for the new year, and His Beatitude Gregory expressed his wonder on the missionary work being done by the Alexandrian Church, defining the Alexandrian Primate as the “Apostle Paul of the African Continent”.
 

Following the exchange of wishes and commemorative gifts, the visited were taken on a conducted tour of the Archaeological Museum and the Patriarchal Sacristy.