Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II (born Nikolaos Choreftakis, November 25, 1954) is the Greek bishop and primate of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Biographical data
Nikolaos Choreftakis born in 1954 in the village of Profitis Elias in Heraklion, and lived in Nea Alikarnassos in Heraklion, where he graduated from high school.
He is a graduate of the Rizarios School of Preaching and a graduate of the School of Theology at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki. He also studied the history of art, literature and philosophy in Odessa, Russia. From an early age, he desired to follow the priesthood and on August 15, 1973, he became a monk at the Holy Monastery of the Assumption in Agarathos, receiving the name Dionysios.
He was ordained deacon in 1975, and presbyter - archimandrite on April 23, 1978 at the hands of Metropolitan Theodore of Lampi and Sfakia. From 1975 to 1985 he served as archdeacon and first chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Lampi and Sfakia. From 1985 to 1990, he served as Patriarchal Exarch in Russia based in Odessa under Patriarchs Nicholas VI and Parthenes III. established Greek Culture Foundation and the Friendship Society Museum.
On June 17, 1990, he was ordained bishop under the title of the formerly illustrious Diocese of Cyrene and was appointed representative and director of the Office of His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch Parthenius III of Alexandria in Athens 1990 - 1997. In 1997, he was appointed Patriarchal Commissioner of Alexandria by Patriarch Peter VII.
In September 1997, he was elected Metropolitan of Cameroon. During his pastorate, he developed significant missionary activities. He opened churches, educational institutions and hospitals, indiscriminately helping many Africans and Greeks. On September 16, 2002, he was elected Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, where he established 4 Mission Centers in the capital Harare, a Greek Cultural Center capable of accommodating 400 delegates, two large Mission Centers in Malawi with a hospital, technical schools and kindergartens. With the help of the Greek Parliament, he renovated the "Greek Square" (School-Church-Presbyterium) in the city of Beira, Mozambique. He also founded holy churches and contributed to the establishment of Greek communities in the countries of Botswana and Angola.
On October 9, 2004, he was unanimously elected by the Hierarchy of the Throne of Alexandria as the 115th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. He is the seventh Crete-born Patriarch of Alexandria after Silvester, Meletios Pigas, Cyril Loukaris, Gerasimos Palladas, Gerasimos Spartaliotis and Meletios Metaxakis.
The enthronement took place in the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Alexandria, in the presence of Prelates and Representatives of all Churches and the Political Authorities of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt on October 24, 2004.