A delegation from the Hellenic Community of Alexandria, led by its President Mr. Andreas Vafeiadis, and comprising Acting General Secretary Mr. Dimitrios Kavouras, Community Commissioner Mr. Vasileios Zoues—accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Villy Politi-Zoues, Secretary General of the Community—and the Editor-in-Chief of the Alexandrian Courier, Mr. Grigoris Chaliakopoulos, visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate for a scheduled audience with His All-Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew.
During their visit, they were given a guided tour of the historic premises of the Patriarchate and later honored as guests at a luncheon hosted personally by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
This occasion proved to be the most significant and emotionally stirring moment for the visiting Egyptian Greeks in the Queen of Cities. The delegation was first guided through the halls and the Holy Church of Saint George by Father Photios, who detailed the Patriarchate’s profound history and the magnificent hagiographic masterpieces adorning the church walls.
Upon Patriarch Bartholomew’s entrance into the dining hall for the luncheon, all present rose to their feet in a display of deep respect for the spiritual leader of global Orthodoxy. His All-Holiness, a figure of profound sweetness and humility, stands as a tireless advocate for the advancement of Christian ideals, the fraternity of peoples, peace, and good neighborliness. An erudite and cultivated figure, Patriarch Bartholomew has long been a pillar of Hellenism and a stabilizing presence in the relationship between the Greek and Turkish peoples.
Earlier, during the delegation’s private audience with His All-Holiness—held shortly before his departure for the Vatican to attend the funeral of Pope Francis—the reception was notably warm and heartfelt. Patriarch Bartholomew engaged in an extended dialogue with President Vafeiadis and the members of the Alexandrian delegation.
He inquired with genuine interest about the life of the Greek community in Egypt and spoke with particular affection about the Patriarch of Alexandria, His Beatitude Theodore II, emphasizing their ongoing and active dialogue regarding the Church of Christ. His All-Holiness requested that his warm greetings and blessings be conveyed to His Beatitude, noting that he would soon be in communication with him personally.
President Vafeiadis expressed his profound gratitude and emotion for the honor of the invitation and conveyed the love and best wishes of the entire Egyptian Greek community.
Following the exchange of heartfelt words, President Vafeiadis presented a commemorative gift to the Ecumenical Patriarch, who reciprocated by offering gifts of remembrance and affection to each member of the delegation, ensuring that they would forever cherish the memory of their visit to the Patriarchate.
Group photographs were taken with His All-Holiness at the center, who graciously obliged every request, ensuring that each participant captured enduring memories of this honored occasion.
During the luncheon hosted by the Patriarch, present at the table alongside the Alexandrian delegation were His Eminence Metropolitan Agathangelos of Fanarion, General Director of the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece; the Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate, Mr. Vosporios; the Very Reverend Protopresbyter Mr. Konstantinos Bartholomeos; Mr. Panteleimon Vigas, Archon of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Alexandria and former President of the Greek Community of Neochori (through whose initiative the two communities met in the City); Mr. Nikolaos Kalamaris, current President of the Neochori Community; Mr. Michalis Chanoutoglou, Commissioner of the Neochori Churches; Mrs. Loukia Kotaki, member of the Neochori Board of Directors; and numerous students of the Patriarchal Seminary boarding school, originally from Greece.
At the Patriarch’s invitation, the students performed Byzantine hymns in various languages, earning warm applause from His All-Holiness, the assembled guests, and the Alexandrian delegation.
Throughout the meal, His All-Holiness conversed with all attendees on a variety of topics, including daily matters, the life of the Egyptian Greek community in Alexandria, his forthcoming visit to the Vatican, and various significant issues concerning global Christianity. He offered a detailed and thorough perspective on matters such as the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church and the antagonism displayed by the Russian Church toward Orthodox Hellenism, concluding decisively: “We stand with justice, righteousness, love, and peace.”
Following His All-Holiness’s departure for Rome, all the guests rose to bid him farewell, offering their prayers for a safe journey and swift return.
Subsequently, at the invitation of Chief Secretary Mr. Vosporios, the Alexandrian delegation visited his office, where he presented them with commemorative gifts and Patriarchal publications. Engaging warmly with the visitors, Mr. Vosporios—who shares roots in Messinia with Mr. Chaliakopoulos, Editor-in-Chief of the Alexandrian Courier—spoke nostalgically about his homeland and kindly asked that heartfelt greetings be conveyed to their ancestral land.
It is worth noting that prior to their meeting with His All-Holiness, the President, Mr. Andreas Vafeiadis, Acting General Secretary Mr. Dimitrios Kavouras, Commissioner Mr. Vasileios Zoues and his wife Mrs. Villy Politi-Zoues, and Editor-in-Chief Mr. Grigoris Chaliakopoulos, accompanied by Mr. Michalis Chanoutoglou, visited the Holy Church of the Panagia of Blachernae. There, they attended a service presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Agathangelos of Fanarion, where a multitude of Orthodox faithful from around the world had gathered.
The visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the luncheon hosted by His All-Holiness now stand as a distinct and memorable honor for the Alexandrian delegation, who experienced to the fullest the true meaning of hospitality in the City of the Romioi.
Source: ekalexandria.org
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
