With the grace and blessing of the Holy God, we had the joy and the special blessing, after 8 years, to welcome again in the Holy Metropolis of Mwanza the spiritual father of the Orthodox Christians of the African continent, from October 8 to 15, 2016. This visit was absolutely timely and his contribution was multifaceted and invaluable. The programme of his tour included first of all the inauguration of the Holy Cathedral of St. Nicholas, in the city of Muanza, which coincided exactly with the completion of 12 years of his Patriarchal ministry. So on Sunday, October 9, we had the inauguration ceremony of the Church and the Divine Liturgy. In the afternoon of the same day there was a small celebratory event in honour of His Beatitude. During the remaining 5 days of his stay with us, we had the opportunity to visit key points of the Orthodox presence in the Holy Metropolis, such as. The Holy 12 Apostles Church, in Bukoba, 3) The Aristotle High School of the Metropolis, in Kayanga, 4) The St. Sosthenes High School, in Rubale, 5) The Ufufuo Hospital, in Bukoba, 5) The Ufufuo Hospital, in Bukoba.
During these visits, he blessed and praised the efforts of the Metropolis to support the social and educational problems of the inhabitants of the above-mentioned areas. In particular, he blessed the programme of drilling wells by the crew of the Metropolis, so that every area close to an Orthodox church benefits from the presence of clean and potable water. At the same time, His Beatitude had meetings with local rulers, to whom he expressed the concern and struggle of the Orthodox Church for the people of Tanzania, regardless of race or religion. Finally, in the city of Bukoba, he presided over a priestly congregation, during which he met and got to know all the priests of the diocese, whom he admonished, consoled and inspired in a fatherly way, so that, with hope and vision anchored in the unshakable faith in the person of Jesus Christ, they may continue and intensify their pastoral, preaching and worship work, in the midst of unfavourable and adverse conditions, both for themselves and their families, and for their flock. He stressed to all the need for them to give and be in every way “a witness of Christ” in every direction, not only by their charity and giving to people, but especially by the example of the faithful, prudent and dedicated clergyman to the work of our Lord, which they should embody and project. His Beatitude’s visit coincided with two sad realities in the region. The powerful September earthquake in Bukoba (which has brought much suffering to the town), and the famine due to the drought. His speech to our empowered brethren was loving and compassionate. He offered comfort to the faithful, assuring them that our Creator and Father never leaves His creatures helpless, especially when they turn to Him with confidence and hope in His unbreakable promise that “those who seek the Lord shall not fall short of every good thing”.
He reminded them that their brothers and sisters, Orthodox Christians everywhere, have not forgotten them, but on the contrary, they sympathize with them and often try to help them from their own resources. At the same time, he pointed out the responsibility and diligence which they themselves must now demonstrate in order to keep the work of their local Church alive, both spiritually and materially. His Beatitude the Patriarch demonstrated and emphasized the importance of the work that has been accomplished so far, and with warm words he thanked all those who have contributed in various ways and continue to contribute, among them the Brotherhood of Orthodox Foreign Mission, so that this small spark of the Orthodox Faith still illuminates the various darknesses of this piece of land. He reminded us by his word and presence that “we are of the Lord Jesus Christ”, and that He “is not far from each of us. For in him we live and move and are’. That there are no privileged and unprivileged people, but that we are all His children and called into the Kingdom of His love, if only we respond positively to His call. His Beatitude lit a candle for us with the Light of Christ that illuminates, brightens, sanctifies and liberates those who groan under the oppression of the devil and his tricks. Only in this Light, close to Christ and His Holy Church, will the continent of Africa obtain the benefits of true peace and justice.
The children of Africa need hope. It is this hope that our Patriarch has managed to refresh and renew us with his presence. For this reason, our praise is unceasing to our Most Holy and Most Merciful God, whose Name be blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
† Muanzas Hieronymos
