Angelic the Deaconess

On the last Great Thursday, the Church of Alexandria ordained Ms. Angelic Molen to the diaconate. This step, which some of us described as bold, I would like us to see it as natural, even centuries overdue! A friend of mine, who initially shared the news with me, showed me a photo of our Patriarch, His Holiness John, with the newly ordained deaconess. Antioch has nothing to do with the ordination that has been decided by the Church Council in Alexandria in 2016. However, in Antioch, under the leadership of His Beatitude and the esteemed members of our Holy Synod, we must anticipate a greater breakthrough for this long overdue change, which many of us acknowledge as necessary. Tradition is explicit. Originally, deaconesses have had their ministry in the Church. Faithfulness to tradition is Orthodoxy's concern. I would like to say to the new deaconess, "Axia," and to the Church in Alexandria, "Blessed are the leaders who have decided on the ordination, and blessed be the hand of Bishop Seraphim Kykotis, Metropolitan of Zimbabwe, who has performed it”.