All the Orthodox Christians of the Holy Metropolis of Central Africa are especially happy, because we had the honor and blessing, with the Providence of the Most Holy God, to receive the blessings of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore II.
His Beatitude arrived at the missionary team in Kananga on October 19. From the events held in his honour, the high standard of studies and the integrity of our schools was evident. The Patriarch admired the beautiful school facilities, came into personal contact with the teachers and students, blessed them and was very happy. He also celebrated the inauguration of the St. Andrew’s Church.
In Kinshasa, our Pastor went to St.Nicholas Church of the Greek Community and celebrated a praise service before a large number of Congolese Orthodox faithful, who came to see the “Patriarch of Love”, as they called him.
The President of the country, Mr. Joseph Kabila, honoured him in a special ceremony and conferred on him the honour of Head of State. The Patriarch held meetings with representatives of the national parliament, with many ministers and members of parliament, to whom he presented the enormous charitable and social work carried out by the Patriarchate of Alexandria throughout Africa.
His Beatitude visited the Faculty of Theology of the Orthodox University of Kinshasa. Our students and a large number of people, both Orthodox and Catholic, welcomed him with great joy. He toured the premises of the School, which at the same time serves as a boarding house for students, and praised the important work for Orthodoxy that the Theological School performs. He attended the Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated in the Church of St. Athanasius of Athonite and admired the calligraphic dances of the chanters.
He warmly thanked the Brotherhood of Orthodox Foreign Mission for its fifty years of continued work of service to the Patriarchate of Alexandria and especially to the Holy Metropolis of Central Africa and the Orthodox Theological School in Kinshasa.
Later, he visited the missionary centre in the Kasangulu area, where an Orthodox school operates and where a peristyle church was built in honour of the ever-deceased Fr Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulou. There he rejoiced very much and blessed the children and teachers.
Another stop of the pastoral visit was the parish of St Mark in Kinshasa, where the faithful celebrated the presence of the Patriarch with traditional dances and songs. In particular, the faithful felt his kind heart and through his blessings the presence of God. In the same place, His Beatitude visited the educational institutions of our Metropolis, built by the Greek Community of Kinshasa and on the occasion of his visit they were handed over for operation. The teachers and students of St. Mark’s school organized a beautiful celebration in his honor. The children with great joy and enthusiasm sang the national anthems of Greece and Congo in Greek and French and sang traditional songs. The joy of all of us was evident.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the special gathering of priests that His Beatitude held at the offices of our Holy Metropolis. There he addressed paternal words of exhortation and exhortation to the priests, so that with much love, fervent zeal and due responsibility they may carry out their pastoral and missionary duties. The priests rejoiced and their faith was strengthened.
The pastoral and missionary visit of our Patriarch was very spiritually beneficial for our Metropolis. It was an aura of coolness and comfort of the Holy Spirit. It was an important station of spiritual refueling and strengthening for all of us. It was a unique and unrepeatable opportunity through which the Patriarchate’s God-given and multifaceted spiritual and charitable work was intensely promoted before the Government and throughout the country through television.
For all the blessings we have experienced, we send our heartfelt supplications to the Triune God and heartfelt thanks to our Father Pope and Patriarch Theodore for the honour of his visit to the Diocese of Central Africa, which, with the grace of God and the blessings of His Beatitude, we humbly interrupt.
Yours sincerely,
The African centrist Nikephoros
