On Sunday 12 January, His Eminence Archbishop Sergios officiated at the 15th Memorial Service held for the late Archbishop Pavlos Varnavas, in the presence of Mr Thomas Matsoukas, consul for Greece in Cape Town, Mr Nassos Martalas, president of the Hellenic Community of Cape Town, Mr. Andreas Coulbanis, president of the Hellenic Students Association of Cape Town, and Professor Renos Papadopoulos from the University of Essex in Cape Town.
In His Address after the service, His Eminence said that the late Archbishop was born in Cyprus in 1912 and his entire life was dedicated to the service of God. At the age of twelve he entered the sanctuary of the mystical monastic life, in the humble Holy Monastery of the Holy Virgin of “Trooditissa” in his home village in Cyprus. He studied theology at the University of Athens and served as a priest in Cyprus and in Pretoria, South Africa. He was elected by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and became the first Metropolitan Bishop for Cape Town in 1968.
As a human being he was distinguished for the simplicity of his character. His personality was one of those that we, as Hellenes have become used to marvelling at in the pages of our history, and as Orthodox Christians we keep them as role models to imitate. He departed, in fullness of days, on 18 January 1999, filled with love for the journey to the everlasting life, leaving a legacy of virtues, which will always teach us all.
