On the weekend of 7 to 9 November His Eminence Archbishop Sergios visited the Church of the Holy Archangels in George. He officiated on the Friday evening at Vespers for the Holy Archangels, at the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Holy Archangels on Saturday morning, and at the Divine Liturgy for the feast of Saint Nektarios on Sunday morning. His Eminence was assisted by the Very Reverend Father Archimandrite Evlogios Antonellos, parish priest of George, and by Reverend Father George Pittaras, parish priest of East London. An artoklasia was also served at the Vespers for the Holy Archangels.
The services were attended the by chairman of the Hellenic Community of the Southern Cape, Mr Stratos Kritzas, together with the committee and parish members. The Church in George is the only Church in South Africa which is dedicated to the Holy Archangels and many people from around the country also attended the weekend of services and the official celebratory dinner that was held on Saturday evening.
In his homily at the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Sergios spoke of the importance of angels and archangels in the life of Orthodox Christians. He said that angels were part of creation before the earth and humanity were created and they exist to serve God, to carry out His will, and to protect us. At baptism each person is given an angel who stays with them as their guardian angel.
He said that when Satan fell away from God and drew a part of the angels with him to destruction, Michael stood up and cried out before the faithful angels: “Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear! Let us attend!” and all of the faithful angelic heavenly hosts cried out: “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory!”
His Eminence said that the ancient Greeks had a similar perception of angels. The god Hermes was also portrayed with wings and was known as the god of good luck who protected people and led the spirits of the departed in their future life. The Greeks were therefore prepared to accept the reality of the angels. However, His Eminence pointed out that the reality of the angels also leads us to the reality of the existence of the devil. The devil accepts the existence of God and yet there are people who reject this idea. We need to believe in God, to struggle against the devil, and to keep our hope in God for our salvation.
At the dinner, His Eminence congratulated Stratos Kritzas and all those who were celebrating their name days, or who had family members who were celebrating their name days. He said that many people from Mytelene would be celebrating their name day because many miracles are attributed to the miraculous icon of the Archangel Michael of Mantamados in Mytelene. In addition, the archangels, who are depicted with wings, are the patrons of the Greek Air force and so His Eminence also congratulated the Mytelenians for the liberation of their island from the Turks in 1912.
The Divine Liturgy on Sunday, 9 November, Archbishop Sergios said that Saint Nektarios is a recent saint from the last century. He had been unfairly expelled from the Patriarchate of Alexandria. But on 15 November 1998, His Beatitude Patriarch Petros VII held a special service to restore the ecclesiastical order of the saint beseeching him for forgiveness due to human weakness and error.
![Ayios Nektarios]()
Alexandria 15th September 1998
- The Holy Spirit has enlightened the gathered members of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa, under the leadership of H.B. Petros VII, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, more than a century since Saint Nektarios, the great Teacher and Father of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church was expelled from the Church of Alexandria, to reach the following decision:
- Taking into account the resolution of the Church to rank Saint Nektarios amongst the saints because of his innumerable miracles and his acceptance within the religious conscience of Orthodox Christians throughout the world, we appeal to the mercy of the ever-charitable God.
- We hereby restore the ecclesiastical order of the Saint of our Century, Saint Nektarios, and grant to him all due credits and honors. We beseech Saint Nektarios to forgive both us, unworthy as we are, and our predecessors, our brothers of the Throne of Alexandria, for opposition to the Saint and for all which, due to human weakness or error, our Holy Father, Bishop of Pentapolis, Saint Nektarios, suffered.
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- PETROS VII, By the Grace of God
- Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa.
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The Sunday Liturgy was attended by the Consul of Greece, Mr Thomas Matsoukas, and the president of the Hellenic Students Association at UCT, Mr Andreas Coulbanis, and by Mr Stratos Kritzas.
