Patriarch Theodore II, the leader of the Orthodox Church in Africa, will be visiting Rwanda next month. This is the first time that such a high level Orthodox cleric will be coming to the country, and his visit is viewed as a move aimed at strengthening the religion that currently has between 7000 to 8000 followers in Rwanda, having been introduced in 2013. The Orthodox Church, also called the Eastern Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Catholic Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million members from across the world. It is one of the oldest surviving religious institutions in the world, having been founded in 1054 AD. In Rwanda, the Orthodox Church was commissioned to work in the country in 2013, and it started in Kirehe district before it expanded to more areas. Speaking in an interview, Innoncentios Byakatonda, the Archbishop of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Burundi and Rwanda, said the Patriarch’s visit is aimed at giving a benediction to the local Orthodox followers, as well as “consecration” of a new cathedral that they have built in Rwamagana district. “His coming will be a great thing,” Byakatonda noted. He stressed that the religion is not new in the country as it has been around for some years, explaining that the Patriarch’s visit will be a key move confirming the fact that the religion is well established in the country. “The coming of the Patriarch is to confirm that we – the Orthodox faithful- are here, even though we were late to establish ourselves in Rwanda. It will be a great blessing for us that he comes to pray for us and embrace everyone to join the Orthodox Church,” he added. The religion currently has eight parishes in the country, and two of which are in Kirehe district in the Eastern Province. The parishes are: Rwabutazi and Gashongora which are both in Kirehe, while the rest are in Rwamagana, Gishali, Nyagasambu, Nyamata, Butare, Gisenyi and Cyangugu. According to information from the religion’s leaders, the parishes have embarked on a program of putting in place proper infrastructure, setting in place congregational facilities that are up to the standards required by the government of Rwanda. “For now, the facility for Rwamagana parish has been completed and it is the one that will be officially launched by Patriarch Theodore II,” reads a statement from the local church.
