In a deeply moving ceremony on Friday, 17 April 2026, at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Monastery of St George in Old Cairo, Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, invested Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as an Archon of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
The Rector was awarded the title of Great Archon Chartophylax. This office, dating back to the 6th century AD, constitutes the highest distinction conferred by the Patriarch upon a distinguished member of the laity, and is granted to individuals who have made significant contributions to the Church and to Hellenism.
Patriarch Theodore II spoke warmly of Gerasimos Siasos’s personality, academic work, and scientific standing, as well as his distinguished tenure as Rector of the oldest and largest university in the Hellenic world. He praised the honouree’s contribution, saying: ‘I wish to congratulate you on behalf of all the Hierarchs of the Patriarchate, for your path has been one of humanity and love’.
In his response, Professor Siasos expressed his deep emotion at the Patriarch’s warm words about him, as well as for the great honour bestowed upon him, which, as he noted, transcends his own person and reflects the prestige of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He also referred to the strong historical ties between the University of Athens and the Orthodox Church, dating back to its founding nearly two centuries ago, when the first School of Theology in Greece was established. Addressing His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, he said: ‘Your figure stands as a luminous example of patriarchal ministry. In your person, apostolic succession, sincere love, and selfless sacrifice are united. Your work across the African continent goes beyond the bounds of conventional pastoral care’.
He went on to refer to the ties between the University of Athens and the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople, as well as with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and with prominent graduates of the School of Theology in Athens, namely His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece and His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus. He also made special reference to the University of Athens’ Honorary Doctor and Great Benefactor, Mr Athanasios Martinos.
He further highlighted the University of Athens’ role in promoting science as a force of service and solidarity, while emphasising its active participation in all national initiatives. Concluding, he stated: ‘Today’s great honour is an invitation to make scientific knowledge and institutional responsibility instruments of service to humanity and society, for a world of justice, solidarity, and hope.
In attendance at the ceremony were Hierarchs of the Throne of Alexandria, representatives of the Embassies of Greece and Cyprus in Egypt, Archons of the Patriarchate, distinguished professors at the University of Athens, members of the medical community, as well as the honouree’s family and close friends. Special mention was made of Mr Athanasios Martinos, Honorary Doctor of the University of Athens and Great Benefactor, who provided decisive support for the restoration of the Holy Monastery of Saint George.
The Church of Saint George in Old Cairo is the only rotunda of its kind in the Middle East. According to tradition, its catacombs are associated with the imprisonment and torture of Saint George. The structure is circular in form and rests on eight internal columns. It is comparable to the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, and lies within ancient walls covering an area of approximately half a square kilometre. The catacombs also preserve to this day a nilometre, one of those formerly used to measure the water level of the Nile.
