His Beatitude Petros VII

Petros VII (September 3, 1949 – September 11, 2004) was the Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa from 1997 to 2004.

[edit] Biography

Petros was born as Petros Papapetrou in Sichari, Kyrenia District, Cyprus. He assumed the Patriarchate of Alexandria on March 9, 1997, following his election by the Holy Synod the previous February 21. Before his election, Petros had served as a deacon and a priest, and was consecrated as a bishop in 1983. He had a close rapport with his predecessor, Patriarch Parthenios III of Alexandria and assumed the latter's post after his death in 1996.He reigned as Patriarch for seven years.

His tenure was marked by renewed missionary efforts in Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, Cameroon, and elsewhere across the African continent.

Petros VII died along with 16 others (including three other bishops of the Church of Alexandria: Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Carthage, Metropolitan Irenaios of Pelusium, and Bishop Nectarios of Madagascar) when the helicopter carrying them crashed into the Aegean Sea while en route to the monastic enclave of Mount Athos in Greece. The cause of the crash is still uncertain.

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