On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the pre-celebration of the Feast of the Archangels was held at the namesake Cathedral of the Diocese of Maputo.
Following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, the icon of the Archangels was carried in procession, accompanied by the blessing of bread (artoklasia) and a memorial service for the benefactors and founders of the Cathedral and the “Athenaeum.” The event was attended by Greek officers of the peacekeeping forces serving in Maputo, as well as by a large congregation of the faithful.
Subsequently, Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia and Mozambique, conveyed to those present the greetings of Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa. He gave a detailed account of the history of Hellenism in the country and spoke of the efforts of the Greeks of Mozambique, during times of great hardship, to build both the Holy Cathedral and the Athenaeum.
The Athenaeum is a magnificent building reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture, located opposite the Bishopric and within the same block as the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Archangels, right next to it. It was constructed by Greeks in the former Lourenço Marques (today Maputo) in 1923 and initially, before the Cathedral was built, served not only as a meeting and cultural center for the local Greek community but also as a place of worship and as a school.
As is evident, this building has been connected to all the major milestones of Hellenism in Mozambique for more than a century and a half, since the first Greeks arrived here in southeastern Africa in the mid-19th century, specifically in the city of Beira. In 1976, it was seized by the army during the period of “nationalization” (Revolution – Civil War – People’s Democracy – FRELIMO Communist Party).
Since then, it has not been returned to its lawful Greek owners, unlike other properties belonging to national communities across the country that had been seized at the time. As a result, the Greek community lost one of the key pillars that sustained it. The building is now called the “Palácio dos Casamentos,” or Palace of Weddings.
To this day, Metropolitan Ioannis has been making tremendous efforts with the government of Mozambique, the European Union, and other international organizations to find a just solution, rectify this significant injustice, and restore the building to the Greek Orthodox community.
The celebrations concluded at the newly built cultural center with a festive event featuring a meal and live music.
