On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 22, 2025, an Orthodox Youth Evening was held at the Church of St. Anthony the Great in Satby, Alexandria, with great success and spiritual benefit. The event was centered on the theme: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) “Addiction: Spiritual and Psychological Dangers for the Individual and Society.”
The evening took place with the blessing and presence of Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa. It was organized under the auspices of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in cooperation with the Orthodox Scout group “Al-Sharaq” and the catechists of Greater Alexandria.
The event opened with the Service of the Holy Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos.
At the conclusion of the service, the Patriarch delivered a warm, paternal, and deeply moving address to the youth, emphasizing: “The Church embraces you. You are not alone in the struggle of life. When a person is taught and lives in Christ, there is no place for despair. Addiction to various substances is a wound to the miracle of our existence. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we must respect and protect it.”
He continued: “My beloved children, what you will learn today and hear, keep it in your hearts as messages of spiritual awakening and please share it with your friends, your loved ones, and those around you.
If even one person touches the light of hope, if one soul is saved from the yoke of addiction, this is an invaluable gift. It is like saving a drowning person by pulling them to shore. This is the work of the Church: to reach out, to save, to love, to enlighten.”
The Patriarch expressed gratitude to the Egyptian state, especially to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, for numerous and substantial initiatives in combating drugs through the establishment of specialized addiction treatment and social reintegration centers. He also highlighted that the Patriarchate of Alexandria remains a supporter of such efforts across Egypt and the entire continent of Africa, aiding every soul seeking hope.
The Patriarch gifted all attendees a New Testament as a blessing for their lives, urging them to study it daily and use it “as a compass, a support, and a foundation of their existence.”
The youth found answers to many of their questions through the thorough presentations.
At the event’s conclusion, the Patriarchate of Alexandria reaffirmed its firm commitment to youth ministry, supporting every effort to free young people from the bonds of addiction, transforming pain into hope.
Source and photos: ekalexandria.org
