THE PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA VISITS THE PRESIDENT OF MALAWI

On Wednesday 19th February 2020, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, accompanied by His Eminence Daniel of Aksum and His Grace Fotios Bishop of Malawi, went to the Holy Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Lilongwe, where hundreds of faithful gave him a warm welcome to their Church Community.

Following the welcome, a Doxology was celebrated in honour of the Patriarch and he was welcomed by the local Bishop, His Grace Fotios of Malawi.

His beatitude the Patriarch in his address expressed his joy and satisfaction on the missionary work being done in the Diocese and prayed that the Evangelist Mark would bless its work. His Beatitude then hosted a lunch for all the faithful present and joined them.

Afterwards, the Alexandrian Primate went to the center of the capital where, on a plot donated by the State of Malawi, he placed the Foundation Stone for the Cathedral of the Malawi Diocese, in the name of the Great Martyr St George.

The Giannakis family contributes most to the fencing of the property, the construction of the Cathedral and the adjacent Mission Center. The Patriarch also prayed for the repose of the parents of the donors, Heliofotiste and George.

Note that His Beatitude the Patriarch, as Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, had chosen and blessed the place of the new Cathedral, which is in a prominent position, right in the center of the capital.

The following day, Thursday, February 20, His Beatitude was received at the Presidential Palace by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi, Mr. Peter Mutharika.

His Excellency the President expressed his joy at the Patriarch's coming to his country and the gratitude of the Republic of Malawi for all that the Patriarchate of Alexandria, through the local Orthodox Diocese, gives to the Malawian people. “We thank you very much for the presence of the Orthodox Church in our country. For what you offer to our people, to the health and education of our young people”, said His Excellency the President.

The Alexandrian Primate expressed to His Excellency the President fervent gratitude for support of the Orthodox Church of Malawi. “Whatever we do, is because we love the people of Malawi”, said His Beatitude. "The presence of the first Greeks in Malawi, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, has twinned our peoples and strengthened the relations of friendship and cooperation between us," the Patriarch continued. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to His Excellency Mr. Abdel Fatah Al Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt for his continued contribution to peace and progress in the region, for his support of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and for his permission to educate young Africans at the patriarchal Academy in Alexandria.

The next day, 21 February, His Beatitude the Patriarch and his entourage will leave for the Republic of Zambia.

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