Patriarch of Alexandria to young people: Be bearers of love, peace and hope

Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa called on young people to become “bearers of love, peace and hope” as he opened the fifth annual camp for Arabic-speaking Orthodox youth in Egypt on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Around 100 young people from Arabic-speaking parishes across Egypt are participating in this year’s gathering in the Nitrian Valley. A group of young people from Jordan is also taking part, giving the event a broader character as a meeting of Orthodox youth from two Middle Eastern countries.

Patriarch Theodoros celebrated the service for the Blessing of the Waters at the opening of the camp, personally blessing the participants and expressing the hope that the gathering would become a source of joy, spiritual renewal, genuine friendship and a deeper relationship with the Church.

Addressing the young people, the Patriarch recalled his own youth in Crete and his participation in catechetical schools and other Church activities. He stressed that a word of love, a prayer or a spiritual experience during one’s youth can sometimes shape the course of an entire life.

He encouraged the participants to love the Church, keep their faith alive and not be…