Cornerstone Laid for First Romanian Orthodox Church in Africa

In what seems to be an increasingly rare act of inter-Orthodox cooperation on its part, a bishop of the Bucharest Patriarchate has laid the cornerstone for a church to serve Romanian immigrants in metropolitan Johannesburg, South Africa, with the blessing of Pope Theodore II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria and All Africa. The cornerstone was laid this past Saturday in Midrand, a suburn of Joburg, by Metropolitan Damascene (Papandreou) of Johannesburg, the local ruling hierarch, and Bishop Petronius (Florea) of Zalau, a suffragan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Cluj in Transylvania. A full account of the day with pictures of the service can be found here.

It is unclear whether the church will function as a representation of the Bucharest Patriarchate to the Church of Alexandria or as a Romanian-speaking parish of the Metropolis of Johannesburg.

First Orthodox Bishop of Brazzaville Consecrated in Egypt

Pope Theodore II (Horeftakis) of All Africa concelebrated the consecration this past Sunday of the newest hierarch of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church, Bishop Panteleimon (Arathymos) of Brazzaville. The service, concelebrated by metropolitans of the Church of Alexandria and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Dorotheus II of Tinos, was held in the papal Cathedral of the Annunciation in Alexandria, Egypt. More here.

Alexandrian Orthodox Pope Visits Congo-Brazzaville

Pope Theodore II (Horeftakis) of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church has undertaken a pastoral visit to the Orthodox Church in Congo, where he visited the parish churches of the Ascension, St. Photina, and St. Demetrius in the coastal city of Pointe-Noire, blessed the future site of a clinic being organized in the city, and met with local clergy, laity, and government officials. More in Greek here, here, and here.

Alexandrian Orthodox Pope Visiting Russia

Pope Theodore II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has begun a visit to Russia at the invitation of the Russian Orthodox Church. After meeting with Patriarch Cyril (Gundyayev) of Moscow prior to the latter's departure for Ukraine the pope will travel to southern Russia to visit the communities of the Russian Orthodox Church in that region. More here.

Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Alexandria

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, head of external affairs for the Moscow Patriarchate, has paid a brief visit to Pope Theodore II (Horeftakis) at the seat of the Alexandria Patriarchate to discuss relations between the Alexandrian and Russian Orthodox Churches. Participating in the discussions were papal auxiliary Bishops Gabriel of Mareotis and Nicodemus of Nitria

Following his time with the Alexandrian Orthodox pope Metropolitan Hilarion remained in Alexandria to visit the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of St. Mark, which enshrines part of the saint's relics. More here.

Alexandrian Orthodox Church Celebrates St. Mark

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has led celebrations of the new style feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, the founder and first hierarch of the Church of Alexandria, on the 24th and 25 of this month. Participating in the festal services at Alexandria's Cathedral of the Annunciation were hierarchs and clergy of the Alexandrian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches as well as representatives of the Greek government and the Greek and Arab Orthodox communities in Egypt. More (in Greek) here.

The Popes of Alexandria of both the Alexandrian and Coptic Orthodox Churches consider themselves successors to St. Mark and incumbents of the Throne of St. Mark, which in recent history held jurisdiction over all Orthodox Christians in Africa until the autocephaly of the Churches of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Alexandrian Orthodox Pope Visits Nigeria

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has begun a pastoral visit to the Alexandrian Orthodox Church in Nigeria. The papal delegation traveled first to Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, where it was met by Metropolitans Alexandros (Gianniris) of Lagos and Gregory (Stergiou) of Yaounde, the Greek ambassador to Nigeria, and the Egyptian consul in Lagos.

The day after his arrival in Nigeria Pope Theodoros visited Lagos' Cathedral of the Resurrection, where he concelebrated a thanksgiving with Metropolitan Alexandros and the cathedral's clergy. From the cathedral the papal delegation went to the nearby Monastery of St. Anthony, an outpost of Orthodox monasticism in West Africa and seat of the Nigerian Orthodox Church's seminary.

During his time in Nigeria Pope Theodoros will visit a number of the country's parishes, celebrate his nameday with the consecration of a new church in eastern Nigeria, and lay the cornerstone for the new cathedral in Lagos. More here and (in Greek) here.

Pope Theodore Comments on Unity of the Alexandria Patriarchate

As part of remarks at the opening of his ongoing visit to Romania Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria was careful to point out the multiethnic character of the Church of Alexandria and his thankfulness to God for the cooperation of its sister Orthodox Churches in sending clergymen to serve their compatriots in Africa under the jurisdiction of the Alexandria Patriarchate. A full account (in Greek) of Pope Theodoros' comments can be found here.

Pope Theodoros Begins Visit to Romania

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has begun a visit to the Romanian Orthodox Church, being received in the Romanian capital by Patriarch Daniel of Bucharest. The texts (in Romanian) of the first hierarchs' speeches at the reception can be found here.

Pope Theodore Consecrates New Church in Malawi

During his recent pastoral visit to Malawi Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria consecrated the new Church of St. George in Kampodzi near the southern city of Blantyre. Metropolitan Ioakeim of Lusaka and Bishops Ioanis of Maputo and Nikodimos of Nitria concelebrated the services with Pope Theodoros. More (in Greek) here.

Photo of the Day: Papal Divine Liturgy in Greece

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church celebrating the Sunday Liturgy in one of the churches on the Greek island of Amorgos.

Alexandrian Orthodox Pope, Cretan Orthodox Archbishop Meet on Crete

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has begun a visit to Crete, starting his time on his native island meeting with Archbishop Irinaios (Athanasiadis) of Chersonisos and the Cretan Orthodox Church, which is a self-governing part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a significant contributor, alongside Cyprus and the rest of Greece, to the missionary work of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church in Africa. More (in Greek) here.

Pope Theodore Visits Ormylia Monastery

As part of his ongoing visit to Greece Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church has visited the women's Monastery of the Annunciation in Ormylia near Mount Athos. During his time at the Ormylia Monastery Pope Theodoros met with the abbess and sisterhood of the monastery as well as the abbot of the Simonopetra Monastery on Mount Athos, of which Ormylia is a dependency. More (in Greek) here.

Pope Theodore, Archbishop Jerome Meet in Athens

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has begun a visit to Athens, meeting with Archbishop Jerome II (Liapis) of Athens to discuss relations between the Alexandrian and Greek Orthodox Churches and to thank him for all of the support provided by the Church of Greece to the missionary and pastoral work of the Orthodox Church in Africa. More (in Greek) here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Meets with Pope Theodore, al-Azhar Grand Imam

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has begun a visit to Egypt. After meeting with the rector of the Russian Orthodox representation in Cairo and the Russian ambassador to Egypt Metropolitan Hilarion held meetings with Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria and Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb of Cairo's al-Azhar University to discuss relations between the Alexandrian and Russian Orthodox Churches and the situation of Egypt's Orthodox Christians in the country.

Pictured are Pope Theodoros and Metropolitan Hilarion with papal auxiliaries Bishops Niphon of Babylon and Nicodemus of Nitria.

Pope Theodoros Leads Graduation Ceremonies in Alexandria

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has led graduation celebrations at St. Athanasius' Patriarchal School in Alexandria, which is largely attended by students from sub-Saharan Africa. During the graduation itself Pope Theodoros called on the graduating students preach the Gospel in their homelands and not to forget 'that the heart of the Orthodox Church of Africa beats in the Holy City of Alexandria.' More (in Greek) here.

Alexandrian Orthodox Church Celebrates St. Mark

This past Sunday the Alexandrian Orthodox Church celebrated the new style feast of the founder of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, St. Mark the Evangelist. The festal divine services were concelebrated in Alexandria's Cathedral of the Annunciation by Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria, Metropolitan Nicholas of Hermopolis, and Bishops Gabriel of Mareotis, Nikodimos of Nitria, and Niphon of Babylon. More (in Greek) here.

Cypriot Journalist Awarded Cross of St. Mark

Cypriot journalist Constantinos Tsouris has been awarded the Cross of St. Mark by Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria for his articles on the work of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church in Africa. More in Greek here.

Photo of the Day: Sunday of the Cross in Alexandria

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church processing with the Cross during yesterday's festal services in Cairo, Egypt.

Pope Theodore Leads Annunciation Celebrations in Alexandria

Pope Theodoros II (Horeftakis) of Alexandria has returned to Egypt to lead celebrate new style Annunciation and Greek Independence Day celebrations at Alexandria's Cathedral of the Annunciation. What Greek Independence Day should have to do with Egypt's ancient Greek-speaking community or the Church of Alexandria is beyond me, but as the Annunciation is now synonymous in the Greek world with the liberation of Greece from the Turks the joining of the two seems to be unavoidable.

Metropolitan Nicholas of Hermopolis, papal vicar for Egypt's Arabic-speaking Alexandrian Orthodox faithful, and Bishop Gabriel of Mareotis, papal auxiliary for the Archdiocese of Alexandria, concelebrated the festal services with Pope Theodoros. More here.