We will not be justified in the course of our lives by how much richer or how much poorer we get or by changes in the trend of stock market indices. Rather, we will be vindicated as individuals in our conscience and as a nation in the course of humanity by the presence of our brilliant works such as that of the Orthodox University of Congo, and whatever other works of love and charity adorn corners of Greece and our entire Planet!

During Holy Week and Easter, in April 2011, we were in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, with Euthymia, my partner, invited by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikephoros of Central Africa. I would like to thank His Eminence Mr. Nikephoros, the president of the Greek Community Mr. Sofiadis, Mr. Ioannis and Mrs. Fotini Katsikogianni for the invitation and hospitality, who made sure that we had a good stay and without their valuable help our work would not have been possible.

A beautiful country

The Congo is a vast African country about 17 times larger than Greece with a population of 72 million people, 90% of whom are represented by the Bantu ethnic tribe.

• Life expectancy: 51 years
• Illiteracy: 34.5%
• Religion: Roman Catholics 50%, Protestants 20%, Animist 10%, Islamists 10%
• Official language: french
• Local dialects: lingala, swahili, chiluba, quincongo

It was annexed in the year 1908 as a colony of the Belgian state. It was declared an independent state in the year 1960. In its extent it occupies most of the Congo River basin, the second longest river in Africa after the Nile and second in the world after the Amazon in terms of catchment area. Due to its tropical and subtropical climate, it has a rich vegetation of impenetrable jungle, rainforests, savannahs and steppes. Four national parks have been designated as protected natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Although otherwise rich in vegetation and mineral resources, the country’s economy has the characteristics of an underdeveloped country, mainly due to its political instability. It is of particular interest to us because missionary activity in Africa began in the country of Congo about fifty years ago with the first missionary Fr. Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, who is also the spiritual founder of the Thessaloniki Foreign Mission.

The Faculty of Theology

The big surprise of this trip was our visit to the Faculty of Theology of the Orthodox University of Congo in the Mon-Gafula area of the capital. It was founded and inaugurated in the year 2007 by the former Metropolitan of Central Africa, Mr. Ignatius. We toured the excellent facilities of the School of which the hostels and dormitories for the students are donated by the Brotherhood of the Foreign Mission which continues to contribute to the smooth running of the School. This project is an achievement of modern Greece and an edifice of spiritual significance to the entire African continent. It hosts 65 local students from the ^1st year to the ^4th year of study, who demonstrate great scholarship, missionary zeal and possess an enviable choir that practices Byzantine music with excellence. His Eminence Mr. Nikiforos, who is also a professor of the School, is vigilant and pays special attention to the education of the students. Greek professors from Greece and abroad come periodically and voluntarily deliver intensive courses to the students.

Medical care

In the afternoon of the same day we met the needs of both local residents and many of the students in ophthalmology cases. Our daily occupation was eye examinations at the St Mark’s parish premises of a deprived area with residents who despite their increased viable needs were friendly, smiling and dignified. I was struck by the fact that the majority of those examined, aged between 45 and 80, had never in their lives managed to acquire even a simple and self-evident pair of presbyopia glasses.

Our responsibility

Despite the limited time of our stay, the people we met overwhelmed us with feelings of joy and love in the hope of their expectation that we would visit their country again. I was puzzled by the attitude of these people, especially their insistence on waiting for us! They show with this attitude that they do not want us to forget them, they do not want us to turn our backs on them, they are waiting for all of us. It is astonishing to realise in the depths of Africa ‘that we are all guests of such a mission’. It is even more admirable and astonishing that from a geographically small Greece ordinary people of the world, regardless of race, expect to be nurtured by the goods of its rich spiritual legacy! As we reach the end of our journey, I realize another dimension of reality that is easily missed due to the difficult daily life that is currently engulfing us in our country. We will not be vindicated in the course of our lives by how much richer or how much poorer we find ourselves or by the changes in the trend of the stock market indices. Rather, we will be vindicated as individuals in our conscience and as a nation in the course of humanity by the presence of our brilliant works such as that of the Orthodox University of Congo, and whatever other works of love and charity adorn corners of Greece and our entire Planet! This is the spiritual Property of Greece where no one can question it or claim it because it has already passed into the memory of History. Therefore, as long as our fellow human beings are “waiting for us” we must preserve this timelessly brilliant property – which fortunately exists – and brings us an opening to eternity!

Katerina Alexandrou

Ophthalmologist

Regular member of our Brotherhood