Southern Madagascar: Patriarch of Alexandria conducts baptisms for One Hundred Catechumens
On Monday, 15 September, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodoros II, celebrated the Holy Sacrament of Baptism for one hundred catechumens of the Holy Diocese of Toliara and Southern Madagascar.
The ceremony was carried out according to ecclesiastical order, in the presence of clergy and multitudes of faithful. Among those baptised were infants, youth, and adults, who through the Sacrament entered into the fullness of the Church.
In his homily, His Beatitude remarked: “Baptism is the new birth of man, the entrance into the life of the Church, the moment when heaven meets earth and the human person becomes a child of God. From today, you are no longer alone; you belong to the family of Christ, which is the Church, and you have as your guide the Light of the Cross and the hope of the Resurrection.”
After the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism, His Beatitude, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and Southern Madagascar, clergy, and co-workers of the Diocese, made a pastoral visit to the Toliara Prison, both to the men’s and women’s wings.
His Beatitude was informed about the philanthropic and pastoral ministry carried out by the Diocese, which regularly provides meals to the inmates three times a week.
In his address to the prisoners, the Patriarch noted: “Prison is not the end; it is a trial, a Cross that can become a path toward the freedom of the soul. Have patience and trust in God. He sees your pain, hears your prayer, and does not leave you alone. No human being loses their value before God; we are all His children, and the Church will always stand by you.”
At the end of the visit, His Beatitude personally distributed the offered meals to the prisoners, confirming through action the ethos of the Orthodox Church as a community of love, care, and tangible presence alongside every suffering person.
This day marks a milestone in the life of the local Church, as it united the regenerating grace of Holy Baptism with diaconal care for imprisoned brothers and sisters. The interventions of His Beatitude highlighted the Gospel as a word of life for all people and reminded everyone that the Church is not present only in the holy Churches, but in every place of pain, hope, and return.
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