THE ALEXANDRIAN PATRIARCH CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY TO POLAND

On Thursday 20th September 2018, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, as part of his visit to the Church of Poland, visited the Parish Churches of the Holy Trinity, St John of the Ladder and St Sophia, in the capital, Warsaw, where he was joyfully welcomed by the Orthodox faithful. In the afternoon of the same day, together with his entourage and His Beatitude Savva, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, to the Holy Monastery of Martha and Mary in the Grabarka region, where in the Church there which is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Saviour, a Doxology was sung and he was warmly welcomed by the Monastic Sisters.

On Friday 21st September the Alexandrian Primate Theodoros II, conducted the Divine Liturgy together with His Beatitude Savva, Metropolitan of Warsaw at the Holy Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Bielsko, Poland, in the presence of the Mayor and all the local authorities.

After the Reading of the Gospel, His Beatitude Savvas welcomed the Alexandrian Primate to Poland and spoke of the history and contribution of the Patriarchate of Alexandria throughout the course of history.

The Patriarch then expressed his gratitude for the welcome which was afforded him, spoke of the significant Missionary role and efforts of the Patriarchate on the African continent, as well as generally of the spreading of the tenets of Orthodoxy by the Great Alexandrian Fathers. Commemorative gifts were then exchanged between the two Primates.

Immediately after the Divine Liturgy His Beatitude went not the Convent of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Zvierki, where in the Church of the convent dedicated to the Holy Child Martyr Gabriel, a Doxology was sung.

He then went on to Byalistok to the Holy Church of St Nicholas where he was welcomed by the local Archbishop of Byalistok and Gdansk. Welcoming him he spoke of the fraternal relations between the Church of Poland and the Patriarchate of Alexandria and of the Patriarchs Meletios Pegas and Kyrillos Loukaris.

His Beatitude thanked him for the welcome, spoke of the history of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and the work that it does today, and gave as a gift a Blessing Cross. An all-night Vigil was then served.