His Beatitude Christophoros II was the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa from 1939 to 1967. He is noted for initiating an organized missionary program in sub-saharan Africa. In 1946, Patr. Christophoros accepted the Orthodox Church in Uganda as part of the Church of Alexandria. In 1959, he established a diocese for East Africa and appointed Nicholas (Valeropoulos) as the first metropolitan of Irinoupolis and All East Africa, who resided in Kampala, Uganda, and was responsible for missionary efforts among the East Africans and of the resident Greek population.