A lecture of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies was held on Wednesday with the lecturer Metropolitan Gregory of Cameroon. The lecture is entitled “Orthodoxy in Africa: problems, challenges, prospects”. The event was led by the director of the academy, Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, who moderated the discussion that followed.
The lecturer, after reviewing the history of the mission in Africa from the first Christian times to the present day, mentioned the peculiarities of the spread of Christianity in this continent, both because of the harsh living conditions and the need for religious civilization, and because the past of the region with successive conquests, slavery and colonialism.
He presented the difficulties faced by the Patriarchate of Alexandria as a result of the trials of the Greek-speaking population over the centuries and finally focused on the recent invasion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa with the creation of the Russian Exarchy – formation with clear geopolitical goals, which is completely contrary to ecclesiastical regularity and it is essentially an attempt by the Russian Church to impose its conditions on the world Orthodox community.
You can watch the lecture below.