Students from the Patriarchate of Alexandria visit Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and Hellenic President Tasoulas

Students from the Patriarchate of Alexandria (Zambia – Mozambique) who attend the Ecclesiastical High School – Lyceum of Lamia “Saint Vissarion the Agathonite”, visited His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, on Thursday at noon. The young people were accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis, His Eminence Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia and Mozambique, Mr. Dionysios Anastasopoulos, Director of Secondary Education of Piraeus, the Director of the School, Mr. Ioannis Zacharakis, and associates of the Metropolis and the Ministry of Education.

Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia conveyed the wishes and thanks of His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and All Africa, for the generous offer of the Church of Greece and of the Archbishop towards the Patriarchate. He referred to the cultural education program, during which students from Zambia and Mozambique are hosted in Greece, and praised the valuable contribution of the Metropolitan of Phthiotis and the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs, while he also spoke about the difficulties faced by the Church of Alexandria in recent years.

Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis expressed his joy at being in the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and spoke of the Archbishop’s love and insight, but especially of his concern for the children. He spoke of the students who made a long journey to find themselves in Greece, for a better future and to become Ambassadors of a culture and not of a country. He spoke at length about the program in question and thanked the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Georgios Kalantzis, the Director of the School, Mr. Ioannis Zacharakis, and Father Herodion for his contribution to the operation and management of the program.

Under this program, students from Sub-Saharan Africa complete their secondary and tertiary education in Greece. Since last January, they have been hosted and studying at the Ecclesiastical High School – Lyceum of Lamia “Saint Vissarion the Agathonite”, while learning the Greek language, with the aim of studying at Greek universities.

His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos, for his part, thanked everyone for the great emotions that this visit offered him, as it reminded him of his years as a teacher. He spoke about the benefits of this specific program and the skills that the students will acquire, and wished everyone good success in their studies. He praised the contribution of Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis to this initiative and thanked him for his effort, while addressing the children, he called on them to acquire a Greek education.

Mr. Zacharakis then thanked His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece for his general contribution to ecclesiastical education, as well as the Metropolitans of Phthiotis and Zambia for this specific program.

Moreover, the President of the Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Mr. Konstantinos A. Tasoulas, received the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, Metropolitan Ioannis of Zambia and Mozambique, and Metropolitan Symeon of Phthiotis, who informed him about the exemplary intercultural educational program they have developed, within the framework of which students from Sub-Saharan Africa complete secondary and tertiary education in Greece.

The two Metropolitans accompanied 20 students from Mozambique and Zambia to the Presidential Palace, who are participating in this specific program and have been hosted and studying at the Ecclesiastical High School – Lyceum of Lamia “Saint Vissarion the Agathonite” since last January, learning the Greek language, with the aim of studying at Greek universities.

The students, immediately after their tour through the Presidential Palace, were welcomed by the President of the Hellenic Republic and the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports and wished them to make use of the benefits that Greek education has to offer and to progress well with their educational experiences.