Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Eastern Orthodoxy in Egypt
)
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa
Apostolic Era
RecognitionOrthodox
Members500,000 - 1.5 millions[1][2][3][4][5]
Official websitewww.patriarchateofalexandria.com

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa (

romanized: Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, lit.'The Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa'), also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, is an autocephalous patriarchate that is part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Its seat is in Alexandria and it has canonical responsibility for the entire African
continent.

It is commonly called the Greek or Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria to distinguish it from the

schism that followed the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Mark the Evangelist is considered the founder of the See, and the Patriarchate's emblem is the Lion of Saint Mark
.

The head bishop of the Patriarchate of Alexandria is the

church, called the Pentarchy. The seat of the patriarchate is the Cathedral of the Annunciation, also known as the Cathedral of Evangelismos
, in Alexandria.

History

Patriarch Mark III with a black African attendant
Cathedral of Evangelismos, Alexandria

The history of the Patriarchate of Alexandria includes some of the greatest and most renowned

Nicholas I ordained a priest for the Latin rite and sent a representative to the Fourth Lateran Council. The first recorded sign of schism was the Bishop of Rome's appointing a titular Latin Patriarch of Alexandria in 1310.[7]

Diaspora growth in the 19th century

In the 19th century Orthodoxy in Africa began to grow again. One thing that changed this in the 19th century was the Orthodox diaspora. People from Greece, Syria and Lebanon, in particular, went to different parts of Africa, and some established Orthodox Churches. Many Greeks also settled in Alexandria from the 1840s and Orthodoxy began to flourish there again, and schools and printing presses were established.

For a while there was some confusion, especially outside Egypt. As happened in other places, Orthodox immigrants would establish an ethnic "community", which would try to provide a church, school, sporting and cultural associations. They would try to get a priest for the community in the place they had emigrated from, and there was some confusion about which bishops were responsible for these priests.

Eventually, in the 1920s it was agreed that all Orthodox churches in Africa would be under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and so Africa has managed to avoid the jurisdictional confusion that has prevailed in places like America and Australia.

Mission growth in the 20th century

In Africa south of the Sahara most of the growth in Christianity began as a result of mission initiatives by Western Christians; Roman Catholic, Protestant and especially in the 20th century adherents to Western-origin Christian bodies that do not fit into this old dichotomy. These Western-initiated churches were, however, very often tied to Western culture. The Greek missions to African outposts followed Greek-speaking settlers, as with the missions to America and Australia, and still provide cultural links to Greece and the Greek patriarchy in Egypt.

Saint George Church in Cairo

African-initiated churches interested in the various forms of Orthodoxy, but finding it difficult to make contact with historic Orthodoxy in the parts of Africa where they lived, sought further afield. In the 1920s some of them made contact with the so-called African Orthodox Church in the USA (not a part of the canonical community of Eastern Orthodox Churches), notably Daniel William Alexander in South Africa, and Ruben Spartas Mukasa in Uganda.

In the 1930s, Daniel William Alexander visited first Uganda, and later

Greek Patriarch of Alexandria. In 1946 the African Orthodox groups in Kenya
and Uganda were received into the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria.

In the 1950s, however, the Orthodox Church in Kenya suffered severe oppression at the hands of the

Mau Mau Uprising. Most of the clergy were put in concentration camps, and churches and schools were closed. Only the Cathedral in Nairobi (which had a largely Greek membership) remained open. Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus preached an anti-colonialist sermon at the cathedral on his way home from exile, and this led to friendship between him and the leader of the anti-colonial struggle in Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta
.

After Kenya became independent in 1963 the situation eased, and the Greek-speaking Church of Cyprus helped to get the presence of the Greek Orthodox Church in Kenya once more, building a seminary and sending missionary teachers.

Late 20th-early 21st century

In recent years, a considerable

Nectarios of Madagascar
, another bishop with a profound missionary vision. The metropolitans and bishops of this expanding church remain overwhelmingly of Greek or Cypriot origin.

Today, some 300,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians constitute the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Egypt, the highest number since the Roman Empire. The current primate of the Greek Church of Alexandria is Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa.

2019 schism with Moscow

On 27 December 2019 the Russian Orthodox Church officially cut ties with the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate in Alexandria over the latter's recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is rejected by the Russian Orthodox Church and several other Orthodox churches. This was done after Theodore II announced support for the OCU.[8] The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church noted that it remains in communion with clerics of the Alexandria church who reject Theodore II's decision.[citation needed]

Offikialoi of the Throne

The institution of the Offikialoi has its roots in the Hierarchy of the Byzantine Empire and primarily came into the ecclesiastical world around the 9th century, beginning with the Ecumenical patriarchate in Constantinople, where the offices existed hierarchically in three pentads. There are ecclesiastical offices, for both the clergy and lay people. However, the offices for lay people acquired greater validity and dissemination during the Ottoman period whence they were gradually disseminated to the other ancient Patriarchates of the East.

The offices are awarded by "patriarchal esteem and intention" as a recompense to the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa, while in earlier years they were connected to particular positions within the patriarchal court and the administrative mechanism of the Patriarchate, which over the years slackened.

Administrative structures and hierarchy

Cross of St Mark. Honorary religious medal of the Patriarchate
Dioceses and Archdioceses of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and of All Africa

Patriarch

  • Patriarch Theodore II (Choreftakis), Pope and Patriarch of the Holy Archdiocese of Alexandria in Egypt, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.

Archbishops (Metropolitans)

Bishops

  • Bishop Chrysostome (Karagounis) of the Holy Diocese of Mozambique
  • Bishop Neophytos (Kongai) of the Holy Diocese of Nyeri and Mount Kenya
  • Bishop Athanasius (Akunda) of the Holy Diocese of Kisumu and Western Kenya(Posthumously)
  • Bishop Agathonicus (Nikolaidis) of the Holy Diocese of Arusha and Central Tanzania
  • Bishop Silvestros (Kisitu) of the Holy Diocese of (Gulu) and eastern Uganda

Greek Orthodox Churches in Egypt

List of Greek Orthodox Churches in Egypt[9]

  • St. Constantine and St. Helena Church – Cairo
  • St. Spyridon Church – Helwan
  • Patriarchal Monastery of St. George – Old Cairo
  • St. Nicholas Church - Heliopolis
  • Church of the Archangels - Al-Zahir
  • Our Lady of El Nayah Church – Alexandria
  • St. Anthony the Great Shatby – Alexandria
  • The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Church – Mansheya, Alexandria
  • Patriarchal Monastery of Saint Savvas of the Blessed Virgin of Alexandria[10]
  • Church of the Entry of Christ into the Temple – Tanta
  • St. George Church – Tanta[11]
  • Saint Nicholas Church – Mansoura
  • Saint Nicholas Church – Port Said
  • St. Nicholas Church – Old Patriarchate, Damietta
  • The Most Holy Theotokos Church - Heliopolis

See also

References

  1. ^ Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa
  2. ^ "President Lauds Orthodox faith on 100 Years | Uganda Media Centre".
  3. ^ "Kenya: A Fruitful Land". 4 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa - Construction - Stavros Niarchos Foundation".
  5. ^ "Ορθόδοξη Διασπορά και Ιεραποστολή στην Αφρική".
  6. ^ The Letters of Gregory the Great Translated and Introduction nand Notes by John R.C. Martyn. 3 vols. (Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 2004) q.v. 1.24; 5.41; 6.61; 7.5, 31, 37; 8.28, 28; 9.176; 10.14, 21; 12.16; 13.42, 43
  7. ^ Steven Runciman. The Eastern Schism. (Oxford, 1955). p. 99-100.
  8. Crux Now
    . Associated Press. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  9. ^ www.goac-pa-eg.com http://www.goac-pa-eg.com/bg6.htm. Retrieved 2021-11-06. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ "Πατριαρχική Μονή Οσίου Σάββα". patriarchateofalexandria.com (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  11. ^ www.goac-pa-eg.com http://www.goac-pa-eg.com/bg6j.htm. Retrieved 2021-11-06. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Literature

External links