On January 23, 2023, Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa had a ceremonial meeting with Mahmoud Ali Talaat, Ambassador of Egypt to the Holy See.
During the meeting, Mahmoud Ali Talaat expressed his joy for the visit of the Patriarch, with whom he has been associated with personal friendship since his diplomatic years in Kenya while assuring him of the Egyptian state’s full support for the multifaceted work of the Church of Alexandria.
The meeting was attended by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Holy See for relations with states and international organizations.
This was followed by an official event of the world community of Saint Egidios in honor of the Patriarch in a central church in Rome. The Patriarch was addressed by the founder of the Community, Professor Andrea Ricardi, former Minister and its President Marco Impagliazzo, underlining the importance of the visit of the Archbishop and Patriarch of Alexandria to the seat of the Bishop of Rome. Moreover, they historically developed the decisive contribution of Alexandrian theology to the formation of the dogmatic teaching of the Church under heaven, praising the modern missionary activity of the old Patriarchate as the practical application of the principles of faith in the African continent.
In his speech, the Patriarch underlined the need to intensify the common struggle in favor of our fellow human beings indiscriminately, racially, ethnically, linguistically or religiously, “… the fight against any violent and belligerent arbitrariness that leads the human person to impoverishment, the imperative need to “replace” introversion with the emptying movement of love towards the other and even the least brother, the overcoming of the fearful spiritual insecurity about “alleged fraud, threat or degradation of our faith” and the courageous proclamation of unshakable certainty about the faith of our Fathers, which gives us the joy and power of the honest conversation with every brother around us without reservations, pretense or self-cent “exacerbations of spiritual superiority” towards others. Then, as a living image of God, worthy of all honor, service, and respect, our fellow man becomes yet another occasion for personal sanctification and not personal hell (Jean-Paul Sartre).
A festive gathering followed, after which Pope and Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and his entourage departed for Egypt.
