Young people sang the Christmas carols to Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria this morning after the Divine Liturgy at the recently renovated Church of St. Nicholas.
Patriarch Theodore urged them to spread the message to the young people to come to Egypt, the land of their ancestors, telling them that the churches were never closed in Egypt even if he had to perform the Divine Liturgy only with the Metropolitan and one priest.
“I would like to tell the Egyptians wherever they are that Saint Nicholas Church, all our Churches were never closed. The liturgies are still performed even if I had to be alone with the Metropolitan and a priest. You can see the Beautiful Gates open, the incense is still burning, and a candle in front of the holy icon of St. Nicholas has been lit for hundreds of years. Merry Christmas, my children. I wish you the best of health and happiness. As your spiritual father, tell your friends, whether a man or a woman, to come and re-baprtize, not only in the waters of the Nile, but in the traditions of our fathers,” said Patriarch Theodore and spoke about the history of the Greeks in Egypt.
Immediately after the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Theodore welcomed the congregation and the young people to the Throne Room. Afterwards, Patriarch Theodore visited the recently renovated outpatient department of the Greek Hospital in Cairo.