On Wednesday, October 8th of this year, under the presidency of Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, the proceedings of the Holy Synod of the Ancient Patriarchate continued.
The morning session opened with a presentation by Metropolitan Makarios of Nairobi, entitled “The Life and Work of Our Holy Father, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria Sylvester”, followed by the address of Metropolitan Theodosios of Kinshasa, on “The Life and Missionary Work of Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Chrysostomos (Papasarantopoulos).”
Thereafter took place the official canonization into the hagiological registers of the Church of Our Holy Father Sylvester, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, and of Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Chrysostomos, the Missionary of Africa (Papasarantopoulos). Following the reading of the Patriarchal and Synodal Acts, His Beatitude presented to the Hierarchs the holy icons and liturgical services (composed by His Eminence Cyril, Metropolitan of Rhodes) of the new Saints and exhorted all to invoke their intercessions at every moment of their ministry in Africa.
The Synod then turned its attention to the grave issue of armed conflicts in the Middle East and various African nations, such as Congo and Sudan. With sorrow was read the report of Bishop Timotheos of Goma and Greater Kivu, describing the hardships faced by his Diocese due to the prevailing conditions of war. Consequently, a Patriarchal and Synodal Letter of Appeal was drafted and issued by the Ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria, calling for the establishment of peace and addressed to the governments of the nations within its canonical jurisdiction.
Subsequently, Bishop Chrysostomos of Bukoba and Western Tanzania presented his work entitled “Athanasius Treasury” on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the convocation of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.
A greeting was also offered by Protopresbyter Antonios Bafaloukos, Director of the Office of External Mission of the Apostolic Diaconia of the Church of Greece. Fr. Antonios presented to the Synod the new objectives of the Mission Office and invited the missionary hierarchs to renew their cooperation in strengthening and advancing missionary work. The Patriarch, after wishing Fr. Antonios a fruitful ministry in his new responsibilities for the benefit of the mission, bestowed upon him the golden priestly Cross of the Patriarchate, bearing at its center the Lion of Saint Mark the Apostle.
The morning session concluded with the reading of the reports of the Holy Metropolises and Dioceses of the Throne.
During the afternoon session, Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia and Mozambique presented a paper on “Artificial Intelligence and the Church: Benefits and Consequences,” offering a well-rounded illumination of the various aspects of this timely subject, which the Church and missionary work will be called to face and, where possible, to make use of its benefits.
Following the presentation of the remaining reports of the Holy Metropolises and Dioceses, the services of the Great Messages were celebrated in the Holy Patriarchal Chapel of Saints Theodores for the Bishops-elect: Mark of Gaborone and Botswana, Joachim of Kigali and Rwanda, and Damaskinos of Mareotis.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
