The Patriach

BEATITUDE POPE AND PATRIARCH THEODOROS II OF ALEXANDRIA AND ALL AFRICA

Theodoros II was born in Heraclion, Crete in 1954. He is a graduate of the Theological Faculty of the University of Thessaloniki. He was ordained as a deacon in1975 and as a priest in 1978. He served as Archdeacon and Chancellor of the Holy Archdiocese of Lambis and Sfakion. From 1985. He was appointed as Exarch of the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Odessa. In 1990, he was elected Bishop of Kyrene and appointed Patriarchal Representative in Athens until March 1997. He then began his tenure as Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria. On 23 rd September 1997, he was elected Metropolitan of Cameroon and in October 2002 as Metropolitan of Zimbabwe. He established the foundation of the Greek Cultural Centre and the museum where hundreds of children are learning the Greek language in Odessa. He accompanied Patriarch Parthenios throughout his Pastoral visits in Africa, and participated in many International Theological Conferences. As a Metropolitan of Cameroon and Zimbabwe, he was able to exercise very important Missionary activities. He built churches, schools and hospitals, and was assisting many with their education. When serving as Metropolitan of Zimbabwe he was able to build 4 missionary centres in Harare, a Greek Cultural Centre, 2 missionary centres in Malawi with a hospital as well as technical schools and nursery schools. At the same time, he founded Greek communities in Botswana and Angola. On the 9 th October 2004, he was elected unanimously by the Holy Synod as Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa. He was enthroned on the 24 th October 2004 as Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa in the church of the Annunciation of the Mother of God in Alexandria.