Accra, June 25, GNA-Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, at the start of one-week patriarchal visit to Ghana, has described Africa as the continent of the future, and Ghana, luminous example for the continent.

He however entreated the clergy, politicians and the press to work harder to transform the vast resources of the Continent to propel it to higher levels of development.

Beatitude Theodoros, who is also the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, is to preside over the week-long activities marking the silver jubilee celebration of the Church in Ghana.

Among the activities planned for the celebration are a welcome doxology for his Beatitude at the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Accra, courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor, a silver jubilee durbar at Larteh in the Eastern Region, and consecration of some chapels of the church at Tema and Larteh.

Beatitude Theodoros told a press conference in Accra that he had a particular attachment to Africa where he did a 10-year pastoral service before his assumption to the papacy of the church. His Beatitude had worked in Cameroun, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Angola.

He said his visit to Ghana was a dream to West Africa that had come, adding, "It is my duty as ambassador to be here." Beatitude Theodoros entreated the world community to pursue the true teachings of Jesus Christ, to promote love, unity and understanding among mankind.

While emphasizing the economic, social and political well-being of the individual and state, Beatitude Theodoros, reiterated his call to the church to take care of the spiritual needs of the people to check the growing moral and economic decline in the world community. He said the state must also show respect to the church. The Beatitude was accompanied at the conference by high profile personalities of the church in Ghana and other West African countries. Among them were: Father Kwame Joseph Larbi, Director of the Ghana Diocesan Mission Programme of the church, the Spiritual Leader in Ghana, Bishop Damaskinos, the Greek Ambassador to Ghana, as well as prominent Greek business persons in Ghana.

Born out of the old African Universal Orthodox Catholic Church, the current 5,000-member Church was received into canonical Orthodoxy under the Patriarchate in 1982.

The Church now has 35 communities in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Eastern and Central Regions under the care of 25 active priests.

In addition to honouring its spiritual mandate, the Church said it had, with the support of its partners in Europe and America, built and supported the building of schools in a number of communities in Ghana. It says it runs the St. Peters Business College at Larteh, and in the area of health delivery had organized or hosted medical teams to provide free medical care and supplies to a number of communities.