This year, the Church of Cameroon had the exceptional blessing to receive for the third time – since his accession to the Apostolic Throne of St. Mark – His Beatitude Theodoros II Patriarch of Alexandria. His Beatitude chose that period to visit Cameroon because at that time twenty years had been completed since his enthronement as Metropolitan of Cameroon.
Thanksgiving to the Triune God, cordial fulfillment of his eucharistic desire to meet with old associates and friends and also to be found- even for a while- amidst the flock which the Lord of the Vineyard entrusted to him for the first time in the sub-Saharan Africa twenty years ago … all these characterized the eucharistic atmosphere of his visit, in which he was the Initiator and all of us his «followers» … the initiate.
This festive journey started on Saturday, November 25, 2017, in the Greek Community of Douala, where His Beatitude officiated the Divine Liturgy at the Greek Community Church of Sts Constantine and Helen, accompanied by His Eminence Narcissus Metropolitan of Accra, the local Orthodox Metropolitan and clergy from all parts of the Holy Metropolis of Cameroon.
What followed next was a commemoration event in honor of H. B. in the Community premises and a joined feast. The event was attended by the members of the Greek Community of Douala as well as members of many ecclesiastical communities who went to Douala to honor the Alexandrian Prelate.
On Sunday, November 26, His Beatitude and his entourage celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in the capital of Cameroon Yaoundé. Several honorary events were held by the various Church groups (women, youth, children) in honor of our Patriarch.
On the occasion of the anniversary, the Holy Metropolis of Cameroon produced a commemorative bilingual pamphlet with distinctive photographs, which was distributed to everybody, and whose text explained the reason and the cause of the events.
His Beatitude attended all the events and thanked all those present for their love and sacrifice to come close to him at that important moment in the course of his life, wishing them all every blessing in their life.
On Monday the 27th of November, His Beatitude, accompanied by two Prelates, His Eminence Narcissus Metropolitan of Accra and His Eminence Gregory Metropolitan of Cameroon, arrived at the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos “of the Myrtle Tree”, where he was warmly welcomed by a large number of Orthodox faithful and students from the adjacent schools.
Subsequently, assisted by the two Prelates, he performed the Consecration Service of the newly built Church of the Monastery and pronounced God’s blessing of grace upon the devout donors.
After the end of the Consecration Service, His Beatitude ordained the first (to be called) Abbot of this Monastery the Very Reverend Archimandrite Prodromos Katsoulis, current Chancellor of the H.M. of Cameroon.
On the Monastery premises, His Beatitude spoke in a Clerical Assembly and addressed paternal admonitions and blessings to priests and deacons.
On the evening of the same day, His Beatitude and his revered delegation departed for the Venerable Center of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
The visit of His Beatitude was short in terms of time but rich in blessings and support for the «little flock» of the local Orthodox Church of Cameroon.
May God grant you many, many years, Your Beatitude!
From the Holy Metropolis
