On February 6, Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, at the invitation of Ioannis Pyrgakis, Consul General of Greece in Alexandria, visited the Consulate General. There, the Patriarch performed the traditional New Year sanctification service and blessed the Vasilopita, the customary New Year’s cake.
The Governor of Alexandria, Ahmed Khalet, also attended the event. In his address to the Governor, the Patriarch wished for a fruitful and successful administrative tenure in the coming year, dedicated to promoting the renowned city of Alexandria.
He went on to convey his warm wishes and respect to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, expressing satisfaction with the ongoing tripartite cooperation between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, undertaken for the benefit of all peoples of the Mediterranean. “Greeks, Cypriots, and Egyptians join hands, and our friendship thrives in the waters of the Mediterranean—the sea that unites our unique cultures and our noble, progressive peoples,” the Patriarch said. “It will forever serve as the ‘waterway’ of free circulation of ideas, principles, and scientific progress, a place of achievements, a boundless space for dialogue, and a blessed laboratory of democratic ideals throughout time.”
He concluded by extending his paternal wishes to the Consul General, praying for health, joy, and an abundance of heavenly gifts in both his family life and his consular duties.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
