On the morning of Monday 29 March 2004 His Beatitude Petros VII, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa received in the Patriarchal Office a 15 member group representing the Hong Kong Council of Churches who are on a pilgrimage in Egypt. Among the pilgrims was the President of the Council, the Anglican Bishop of West Kowloon Thomas Soo Yee-po, the General Secretary Rev. Dr. Chan Kim Kwong, Rev. Dr. Tso Man-king the previous President of the Council, Mr Alan Dimitrios Ho, Director of the Office of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong & South East Asia and pioneering colleague of H.E. Metropolitan Nikitas, as well as other religious personalities of Hong Kong.
His Beatitude warmly welcomed the visitors who had come from so far away and in his welcome referred to the extensive history of the Patriarchate, to its course today, and especially to its missionary work and the contribution of the Patriarchate in solving the social problems which plague the African continent. He then replied to questions put by the Asian pilgrims stressing that Christians must always have Christ as their example, especially those who live in places where Christianity is in the minority. They should read the Holy Bible but also the texts of the Fathers, from where they can draw many answers for various problems which can also assist the shepherd to come closer to his flock.
The Patriarch then referred to the good relations that govern the Patriarchate and the Egyptian State as well as the peaceful and harmonious co-existence of Christians and Muslims in the land of the Nile.
Bishop Thomas Soo then replied to His Beatitude, thanking him for the warm welcome and his paternal advice and asking him to include in his prayers their Asian brothers who live in a pre-eminently atheistic country. Commemorative gifts were then exchanged.