of Botswana and Angola. Patriarch of Alexandria In the wake of the death of Patriarch Petros and other senior bishops in a helicopter crash in the Aegean Sea, Theodore was unanimously elected on October 9, 2004 by the Synod of the Alexandrian Throne as Patriarch. The enthronement ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Annunciation in Alexandria, on Sunday, October 24, 2004, in the presence of distinguished religious and civilian representatives and a great number of faithful. He is the seventh of Patriarch of Alexandria of Cretan origin after Silvester, Meletius Pigas, Cyrillos Lucaris, Gerasimus Palladas, Gerasimus Spartaliotis and Meletius Metaxakis. 8 November 2019, Patriarch Theodore II formally recognised the autocephaly granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine earlier that year. In response, the Moscow Patriarchate (the ROC) severed eucharistic communion with Patriarch Theodore and the like-minded bishops of his church, a decision that was confirmed by the Standing Holy Synod of the ROC on 26 December 2019. Awards Order of Friendship (Russia, September 17, 2009) - for the great contribution to the development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Arab Republic of Egypt Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise I degree (Ukraine, July 27, 2013) - for outstanding church activities aimed at raising the authority of Orthodoxy in the world, and on the occasion of celebrating in Ukraine the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of Kievan Rus' Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir I degree (ROC, 2007) Order of Glory and Honor I degree (ROC, 2013) Order of the UOC-MP of the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of the Kyiv-Pechersk I degree (2007) The Golden Order of St. George (Georgian Orthodox Church, 2008) The Patriarch Alexy II Prize "For outstanding activities to strengthen the unity of Orthodox peoples. For the approval and promotion of Christian values in the life of society" (2012) Order of the Serbian flag of the I degree (September 26, 2017, Serbia) Medal of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, 1st Degree (December 6, 2017, St. Petersburg Theological Academy) Athenagoras Human Rights Award (October 8, 2022, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate) References External links 1954 births Living people Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece 21st-century Greek Patriarchs of Alexandria People from Chania (regional unit) Aristotle University of Thessaloniki alumni Recipients of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class People from Heraklion (regional unit)