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Patriarch of Alexandria Concelebrated with Archbishop of Greece
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GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE OF ALEXANDRIA AND ALL AFRICA
http://www.greece.org/gopatalex � e-mail: goptalex@tecmina.com
Mailing Address: P.O.Box 2006, Alexandria - EGYPT Tel: + 203-4868595, Fax: + 203-4875684
(translation)
PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA CONCELEBRATED WITH ARCHBISHOP OF GREECE
On Sunday, May 20th, 2001, His Beatitude Petros VII, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa presided over the service of Matins (Orthros) and the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Athens. Concelebrants were His Beatitude Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, H.E. Spyridon, Metropolitan of Lagkada, H.E. Irineos, Metropolitan of Pelousion, H.E. Antonios, Metropolitan of Sisania & Siatista, H.E. Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of Carthage, H.E. Prokopios, Metropolitan of Nea Krini & Kalamaria, H.E. Makarios, Metropolitan of Kenya & Irinoupolis, H.E. Dionysios, Metropolitan of Neapolis & Stavroupolis, H.E. Amvrosios, Metropolitan of Kalavrita & Aegialia, H.E. Alexios, Metropolitan of Trikki & Stagon, H.E. Nikolaos, Metropolitan of Karpenisi, H.E. Efstathios, Metropolitan of Sparta & Monemvasia and H.E. Germanos, Metropolitan of Helia.
Archbishop Christodoulos in his official speech highlighted the manifold work of the Patriarch in Africa, the duty of the Orthodox Church to support the people of Africa who are looking to find Truth. He made a presentation to the Patriarch, a set of Egkolpia and Cross.
Patriarch Petros marked the high-powered presence of Archbishop Christodoulos, such a presence that grants to his flock a feeling of safety, the mutual good relationship of the two Churches and thanked him for the moral and financial aid given to the Patriarchate. He also pointed out that the Orthodox Church in total must support the mission work in Africa. Finally he wished the aid of the Church to Greece to be a model for all Churches and presented to the Archbishop o pastoral staff and a blessing Cross for the Cathedral.
At noon the Patriarch visited the Holy monastery of the Dormition of the Thetokos in Penteli. At the gate of the Monastery the Patriarch received a glorious welcome. A Doxology service followed at the Katholikon of the Monastery where H.G. Ioannis, Bishop of Thermopiles, Abbot of the Monastery in his speech remembered the Patriarch residing in the Monastery for five years as Deacon and Priest. He also marked the great theological contribution of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to the ecumenical Orthodoxy, thanked him for the honor and beseeched the Patriarch to pray for the brotherhood.
The Patriarch expressed his emotion for returning back to the Monastery and at the same time expressed his regret for the disaster suffered by the environment due to the recent fire. He also marked the contribution to the Orthodox Churches of the Monastery and the Orthodox Center that exists within the its premises. Finally he wished the Holy Spirit to consolidate the Fathers in their spiritual strain and presented to H.G. Ioannis a pastoral staff.
At noon Archbishop Christodoulos hosted a luncheon in honor of the Patriarch at the Orthodox Center of the Monastery. During the luncheon the Archbishop thanked once again the Patriarch for his presence and wished long life and success in his difficult mission.
The Patriarch referred to the great support of the Church of Greece to the mission work in Africa, thanked them for the mutual good relationship between the two Churches and presented to Archbishop Christodoulos the Great Cross and Star of St. Mark and a Bishops staff.
Later on the Patriarch visited the Patriarchal Monastery of St. Nektarios in Gargitos. Followed the Doxology Service the Mother Superior beseeched the blessing of the Patriarch, thanked him for the great honor, the care and concern of the Patriarch for the sisterhood and declared the contemplation of the Monastery to the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Finally she presented to the Patriarch a Bishop's robe.
The Patriarch highlighted that the Monastery is under the spiritual guidance of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the monastic tradition of the Patriarchate since the 3rd century up to the contemporary Saint Nektarios who is a Saint of our days. He wished the Saints to be a model for the nuns and presented to the Monastery an icon of St. Nektarios and a set of Holy Chalice and Pattern for the Church.
The same evening the Patriarch honored, with his presence, the dinner hosted by Mr. Mohammed Elamir Khalil, Ambassador of Egypt in Greece, at his residence. Mr. Khalil thanked the Patriarch for visiting the House of Egypt in Greece and marked that is a great honor for him and for Egypt to accommodate the Patriarchate of Alexandria for 2000 years.
The Patriarch marked the protection and support that the Patriarchate receives from the civil authorities of the Republic of Egypt, the necessity of a peaceful co-existence of Christianity and Islam avoiding intolerance and fanaticism and finally commended the European orientation of Egypt and presented to the Ambassador a silver tray with the emblem of the Patriarchate.
From the Press Office of the Patriarchate,
Alexandria, May 21st, 2001
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