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     The Bible event of the “Flight into Egypt” BY THE Holy Family during the reign of Herod and the Holy Child’s sojourn with His All Holy Mother and Joseph in the area now known as Cairo, was celebrated on Sunday 13th January 2008 in the Holy Patriarchal Church of the Most Holy Mother of God in Heliopolis, Cairo, with a festive Divine Liturgy conducted by His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, together with His Eminence Nicholas of Ermopolis and His Grace Nikodimos of Nitria, Patriarchal Vicar of Cairo.

     In his homily to the many congregants, His Beatitude emphasized that Egypt is included with the Holy Land , because Jesus Christ lived there and according to studies by distinguished historians and theologians, he lived where the ancient Monastery of St George in Old Cairo stands today.

     During the Liturgy, which was attended by the Greek Ambassador to Egypt, Mr Ioannis Alexios Zepos, the Cypriot Ambassador Mr Petros Eftychiou, the Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Cairo Mr Christos Kavalis, the Chairman of the Arabic-speaking community, Mr Robert Hosni, and other dignitaries, the Parish Dean Archimandrite Isidoros Salakos, offered to His Beatitude on behalf of the community a pastoral staff to use on his missionary visits, “as a token of their love and gratitude”, and His Beatitude gave them in return a chalice “for the sanctification of the souls of all who enter this church to pray, to listen to the divine word and to ease their souls from daily labour”.

     It is also to be noted that during the Divine Liturgy His Beatitude prayed for the health of His Beatitude Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece.