On 23rd June 2018, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, received at the Patriarchate the Commanders of the Frigates “Lemnos” and Nicephoros Fokas”, the Submarine “Pipinos”, the Governors, Officers, non-Commissioned Officers of the Greek, Egyptian and Cypriot Navies, as part of their joint inter-disciplinary exercise taking place currently under the name “Medusa 6” between the three countries.
The Navy executives were accompanied by the Hellenic Defense Attaché in Cairo, Captain Vasilios Tsoukas.
The Alexandrian Primate, in the Patriarchal Throne Room, spoke to them about the two-thousand year presence of Christianity in Egypt, and made mention of the multifaceted religious and humanistic work done by the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, throughout the African continent. He referred to the glorious pages of the history of the Hellenic Navy during World War II, when Patriarch during the Patriarchal tenure of Patriarch Christoforos II, and Prime Minister Emmanuel Tsouderos, the Greek Navy sailed to the Marsa Matruh region, strengthening the legendary battle in El Alamein, which was the beginning of the end of the Italian-German axis.
He thanked them for their presence in Alexandria and their contribution to the Homeland and prayed that they would always have peace and strength in the undertaking of their noble duties.
His Beatitude the Patriarch and the Commanders exchanged commemorative gifts and then the visitors were afforded the opportunity of a conducted tour of the Archaeological Museum, the Patriarchal Library and the Patriarchal Reliquary.
