His Beatitude, Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, All Egypt and All Africa, (baptized as Nikolaos Choreftakis) was born in Crete on November 25, 1954, where he completed his general education. He is a graduate of the Rizareion Ecclesiastical School of Athens and a graduate of the Theological Faculty of the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki. He also studied Art History, Literature and Philosophy in Odessa, Russia. He was ordained Deacon in 1975 and Elder-Archimandrite in 1978 by the late Metropolitan of Lambi and Sfakia, Theodoros (Tzedakis). During the years 1975-1985 he served as Archdeacon and then Protosyngellos of the Holy Metropolis of Lambi and Sfakia, where he carried out significant preaching, pastoral and charitable work.
Transferred in 1985 by the late Patriarch of Alexandria, His Holiness Nicholas VI, to the Ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria, he served as Patriarchal Exarch of the Throne in Russia, based in Odessa, from 1985 to 1990, where he established the Foundation for Greek Culture and the Museum of the Philiki Etaireia (Friendly Society). In 1990, he was ordained by the late Patriarch of Alexandria, His Holiness Parthenios III, Bishop of Cyrene, and became his Representative in Athens (1990-1997). He accompanied the venerable Patriarch on his missionary journeys on the African continent, as well as to international, pan-religious and theological conferences. In 1997, he was appointed Patriarchal Vicar of Alexandria by the late Patriarch of Alexandria, His Beatitude Petros VII.
In September of the same year, he was elected Metropolitan of Cameroon. During his pastorate, he carried out significant missionary activity. He built Churches, schools and hospitals, helping many Africans and Greeks indiscriminately. In 2002 he transferred to the Holy Metropolis of Zimbabwe, where he founded 4 Missionary Centers in the capital Harare, a Greek Cultural Center with a capacity of 400 delegates, two large Missionary Centers in Malawi, which include a Hospital, technical schools and kindergartens. With the support of the Hellenic Parliament, he renovated the “Greek Square” (School-Church-Presbytery) in the city of Beira, Mozambique. He also founded Churches and contributed to the establishment of Greek Communities in the states of Botswana and Angola.
Following the sudden death of Patriarch Petros VII, on September 11, 2004, he was unanimously elected Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa by the Hierarchy of the Alexandrian Throne. His Enthronement took place on October 24, 2004, in the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Alexandria, with the noble presence of Primates of Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, representatives of all Churches, the State and Political Authorities of Greece and Egypt, and thousands of Christians.
During His twenty-year Patriarchal ministry, He established new ecclesiastical Provinces on the African continent, which He visited from end to end during His successive official missionary journeys, where He was always received by the heads of African states. He diligently engaged in staffing the Patriarchate with young, educated clergy, while ordaining many new hierarchs. He also undertook a number of renovation works on Patriarchal buildings in the Land of the Nile, starting with the Patriarchal See of Alexandria. He also renovated, from the ground up, sacred venerations of Orthodoxy in Egypt, most notably the centuries-old Holy God-walked Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer in Old Cairo. Likewise, he diligently engaged in cultivating fraternal relations with the other Christian and Religious communities of Egypt, as well as in developing good relations with all Christian Churches. This includes the official meeting of His Beatitude with the blessed Primate of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis (Vatican, January 21, 2023), as well as the hosting and organization of two historic meetings at the See of the Patriarchate, the convening of the deliberations of the International Joint Committee on Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches (Alexandria, June 1-10, 2023) and the convening of the work of the International Joint Commision on Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation (Cairo, May 24-31, 2024). His interest in the Patriarchate’s openness to the modern world and global developments in general was undiminished. To this end, he made numerous official visits around the world, most notably his meetings with the leaders of the United States, President Joe Biden, and Russia, President Vladimir Putin, as well as with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso.
During his twenty-year Patriarchal tenure, he became the recipient of high honors, among which his appointment as an Honorary Member of the Academy of Athens, his appointment as an Honorary Doctor of the Law School of the University of Athens, and the award of the “Patriarch Athenagoras I“ Award by the Brotherhood of Officials of the Holy Archdiocese of America, for his efforts in favor of the peaceful coexistence of peoples, stand out.
The generally multifaceted Primate and missionary activity of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II, in combination with his uninterrupted personal prayerful and Liturgical life and the tolerant and gentle nature of his character, constitute the cause of the love and respect of all Africans, Greeks, Arabs and the peoples of the entire “Continent of the Future“ for his honest person, establishing him in their consciences as the “Patriarch of Love”.
Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, His Beatitude, Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, All Egypt and All Africa
