This year, the Cameroonian Church had the extraordinary blessing of receiving for the third time – since the elevation to the Apostolic Throne of Saint Mark – His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria. His Beatitude has chosen this period to visit Cameroon, because it is twenty years since his enthronement as Metropolitan of Cameroon. Thanksgiving to the Holy God in the Trinity, a heartfelt fulfilment of the Eucharistic desire to be found in the midst of old collaborators and friends, but also to be found, even for a short time, among the flock entrusted to him twenty years ago by the Lord of the vineyards, for the first time in sub-Saharan Africa… All this characterized these few days the Eucharistic atmosphere in which he was the Initiate and all the “followers”, the mystics. Within the framework of this festive itinerary, the beginning was made with a visit on Saturday 25 November 2017 to the Greek Community of Douala, where His Beatitude celebrated, at the Holy Church of Saints Constantine & Helen of the Greek Community, accompanied by His Eminence, Mons. He was accompanied by the Bishop of Accra, Mr. Narcisson, the Bishop of the Greek Community and priests from all parts of the Holy See of Cameroon.
This was followed by an event in honour of the H.T.M. in the premises of the Community and a common meal. The event was always attended by members of the Greek Community of Douala and members of many ecclesiastical communities, who travelled to Douala to honour the Alexandrian Primate. On Sunday 26 November, His Beatitude and his entourage celebrated a service at the Holy Church of the Immaculate Conception in the capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé. This was followed by honorary celebrations on behalf of the various ecclesiastical groups (women, youth, children) in honor of our Patriarch. In the context of these events, the Holy Metropolis of Cameroon published a commemorative, elegant bilingual booklet on the occasion with characteristic photographs, which was distributed to everyone and the content of which expressed the reason and the cause of the events. His Beatitude, in all the events, thanked all those present for their love and sacrifice to be with him at this important moment in the course of his life and wished everyone every blessing in their lives.
On Monday, November 27th, His Beatitude, accompanied by Archpriests Narcissus of Accra and Gregory of Cameroon, arrived at the Monastery of the Most Holy Mother of God of Myrtidotissa, where he was warmly welcomed by a large number of believers and students of the schools. Then, assisted by the two Archpriests, he inaugurated the new church of the Monastery and blessed the grateful donors. After the end of the inauguration, His Beatitude installed the first Prior of the monastery, Archimandrite Archimandrite S. Prodromon Katsoulis, who is also the First Bishop of the Holy Mother Church of Cameroon. On the premises of the Retreat House, His Beatitude spoke in a priestly assembly and addressed paternal admonitions to the Priests and Deacons and distributed paternal blessings. In the evening of the same day His Beatitude departed with his escort for the Venerable Centre of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. His Beatitude’s visit was brief at the time, but full of blessings and the insight of the “small flock” of the local Orthodox Church in Cameroon. To many years, Your Beatitude.
From the Holy Metropolis
