An Orthodox Archbishop exile to the Seychelles

A part from our post Orthodox Mission in Tropical Africa (& the decolonization of Africa) 

[...] A similar struggle against colonial rule in Cyprus was being led by Archbishop Makarios, who in March 1956 was exiled to the Seychelles. In April 1957 he was released, and returned via Kenya, where people were still engaged in the struggle against colonial rule. He celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox cathedral in Nairobi, and preached against colonialism (Lemopoulos 1993:122). This was a tremendous encouragement to the leaders of the Kenya independence struggle, many of whom (with the Orthodox clergy) were still in prison at the time. It also caused consternation among the British authorities, and questions were asked in the British parliament about why Archbishop Makarios had been allowed to preach in Kenya.
A close friendship developed between Archbishop Makarios and Jomo Kenyatta, the future president of Kenya. Cyprus became independent in 1960, and Kenya in 1963, and in 1970 Archbishop Makarios, the first President of Cyprus, was invited to Kenya on a state visit by President Kenyatta of Kenya. Archbishop Makarios, as well as being President of Cyprus, was head of the autocephalous Church of Cyprus, and as such had no ecclesiastical jurisdiction in East Africa. But though he was visiting Kenya in his capacity of head of state, he also met church leaders, and visited Orthodox churches in various parts of Kenya.
Archbishop Makarios was struck by the poverty of the church and the people, and wrote to the Patriarchate of Alexandria offering to help. President Kenyatta provided a site for an Orthodox seminary at Riruta, on the outskirts of Nairobi, and Archbishop Makarios raised the money for the buildings. In 1971 he visited Kenya again to lay the foundation stone for the new seminary, though the patriarchate was not in a position to staff it and utilise it until 1982. At Kagira he baptised 5000 people, and at Nyeri he baptised 5000 more. These were both places where Bishop Alexander had visited and taught nearly 40 years previously. [...]
For several years there was no Metropolitan, but Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos was appointed acting Metropolitan. Bishop Anastasios is one of the foremost Orthodox missiologists of the twentieth century, and since the 1950s had been encouraging a revival of interest in mission in the Orthodox Church.
The seminary in Nairobi opened in Bishop Anastasios’s time, and it began with 19 students. It was originally only for students from East Africa, but in 1995 it began taking students from other African countries as well, and there were 42 students from seven countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroun, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. The aim is that the seminary should be a pan-African institution, and should foster a sense of unity in the Patriarchate. [...] 

See also

The Orthodox Church in Kenya & the Orthodox Patriarchal Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III  
The Life & Legacy of the pioneer missionary Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos

Orthodox Easter 2015 in Seychelles...

 

ORTHODOX EASTER CELEBRATION IN SEYCHELLES

Ex2x2lettersfromgreece.wordpress.com

Mayotte of my heart

Seychelles Islands

Father Sergios Janosevic & 

Deacon Father Simon-Petros Nellist

of Seychelles Islands

The Holy Archdiocese of Irinoupolis, also known as Dar es Salaam, is a diocese under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Its territory includes the parishes and missions located in the countries of Tanzania, and the Seychelles Islands (from here).

Africa of my heart

The Orthodox faithful in Seychelles celebrated the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday, 15th of April, in a service at the conference room in Berjaya Beau Vallon hotel.

The divine liturgy was celebrated by Seychelles’ first Orthodox priest, Father Sergios (Janosevic) and archdeacon Father Simon-Petros (Nellist), both of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.

This year for Easter Liturgy we had more faithful than ever, almost all received Holy Communion. Among many children we welcomed wit lit candle, one year old baby- girl Irina, who had her first Holy Communion.

The liturgy was attended by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Seychelles, Mikhail Kalinin as well as Seychellois, Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ethiopian and Egyptian faithful living in Seychelles, and a number of Russian tourists spending their Easter holiday in the islands.

“Let all of you then enter into the joy of our Lord. The first and second enjoy your reward….All of you enjoy the banquet of faith. All of you enjoy the richness of His goodness,” said Father Sergios during the Catechetical Homily of St John, the Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople.

The victory of the Resurrection of Christ was then proclaimed.

“Let no one grieve over sins for forgiveness has dawned from the tomb. Let no one fear death; for the Death of our Saviour has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it.”

Father Simon-Petros, who is British, and formerly worked for many years in Seychelles, was ordained an archdeacon in 2010. With the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Dimitrios of Tanzania and Seychelles, Father Simon-Petros came to assist in the Paschal celebration, and conveyed good wishes from His Eminence to the faithful in Seychelles. During the liturgy father read the Easter message from the  Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II, who spoke of the need for peace between religions, especially in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Christ is risen! The joyous announcement of the Resurrection of Our Lord finds the Middle East, the place where God as Creator communed with man, still struggling with great sacrifices to look for justice, the eye of God on Earth, said the message of Patriarch Theodoros II.

The Patriarch’s message also lamented the spread of religious fundamentalism and the  violence that it spreads, together with the lack of tolerance between different religious groups in Africa.

It is time for everyone to realize that a multicultural society essentially means a multi-religious society. In this society, peace is not possible without peace between religions. And peace between religions cannot exist without dialogue between religions. If someone think that real peace of religions, as an essential factor for world peace, is an illusion, they have only to consider that they doubt the almighty will of Gog to reveal the human race in its genuine dimensions, to place the human race on its authentic pedestal; the almighty will of God which was factually certified by the incarnation and Resurection of the Son and Word of God so that the human race be redeemed from spiritual death; said the Patriarch.

After the Liturgy, the faithful joined together for festive celebrations at the Coral Strand Hotel that were sponsored by the establishment, with many traditional Russian specialties and refreshments served. All faithful stayed long hours together talking in joyous Easter mood.

Christ is Risen , indeed He is Risen !

Father Sergios Janosevic

SOURCE:
Serbian Orthodox Church (official website)

See also
The Orthodox Church in Tanzania

 
Orthodox Christians in Malawi, with Easter eggs (from here)