This morning, H.H. Pope Tawadros II consecrated the Cathedral of the Annunciation and Angel Gabriel, Amal Road (Mahmoudia Canal), affiliated to the eastern Alexandria churches’ sector, with the contribution of the General Bishops supervising the pastoral sectors in Alexandria.
As soon as H.H arrived to the church he reviled the memorial plaque that its consecration date is written on; with the presents of Major General Ahmed Al-Azzazi, Vice-President of the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, and a number of the authorized leaders, whom H.H gave them presents as a souvenir.
After that, the inaugural prayers began, which included the consecration of the main altar after the name of the St Virgin Mary, the maritime alter after the name of Archangel Gabriel, the tribal side after the name of St. Abskhiroon Qalini; besides the Father’s bosom (Pantokrator) in the three alters and the iconostasis of each alter, the church’s icons and its baptism.
Then, H.H prayed the Divine Liturgy and delivered a sermon entitled by “The Beatitudes”, during which H.H concentrated on three points through the beatitudes of Christ in the sermon on the Mount, and they are:
1- those who are mercy: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
2- Peacemakers: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
3- Those with purity of heart: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
At the end of the sermon, H.H thanked everyone who worked hard in this cathedral, especially the engineers and the work team of the armed forces who supervised its construction and the entire region, led by Major General Ahmed Al-Azzazi. As also H.H. repeated his thanks to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his interest in renewing life in Egypt at any place; he added a reference to the difference made by the development of roads and the construction of new roads, as the time required to travel the distance these days, for example: time was shortened from 45 minutes to less than 20 minutes. H.H continued saying that for this reason, all the officials who contribute in making life more beautiful, they deserve to pray for them so that God may give them grace, aid, health, safety, sincerity and honesty in completing the beautiful image of all Egypt.
H.H. also praised the church icons, which were skilfully painted, accompanied by verses from the Bible, as a lesson to anyone who sees them.
The construction of the Cathedral of the Annunciation comes within the framework of the state’s recent development plan in the Mahmoudia Canal Area, and its transformation into the “Amal Road”.

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