Date: Wed, 20 Jan 93 11:18:30 -0700 Subject: Copt-Net Newsletter: Issue #3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ___ ___ /___\ ___ IHC | | nXC ______| |______ /______| |______\ | _|_ | |______ | ______| | | ______ ______ ______ | | __ _____ _______ /_____/\ /_____/\ /_____/\ | | /\_\___ /\____\ /\______\ \ ___\/ \ __ \ \ \ __ \ \ | | / / /___\ / / ___/ \/__ __/ _\ \ \_____\ \ \ \ \_\ \_\ \ \___| |____/ / ___ /_/ / /_\___ / / / / \ \ \____ \ \ \ \ \ \ ___\/ | | / / // / / / / ___/ / / /\ / \ \/___/\ \ \_\ \ \ \ \ \ | | / / // / / / / /_\ / / / \ / \_____\/ \_____\/ \_\/ | | \/_/ \/_/ \/____/ \/_/ \ / \ /____________________________________________________________________________\ \ / \ An electronic newsletter about the Coptic Orthodox Church / \ / \ "Blessed is Egypt My people" / \____________________________________________________________________/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Copts Through the Ages 2. Coptic Churches in Old Cairo 3. A Dutch University in the Egyptian Desert 4. Anba Abraam, the Friend of the Poor (part 3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPTS TROUGH THE AGES (By Dr. Jackie Ascott, Ph.D.) The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is a very conservative Church, which preserves most carefully the Christian Faith, in its earliest and purest form, passed on from generation to generation, unaltered and true to the Apostolic doctrine and patterns of worship. It is a deeply spiritual and even mystical Church, with an emphasis upon holiness, and the Mysteries of Faith, but at the same time it is a strongly doctrinal Church, holding faithfully to the canons of the Holy Scripture and the Apostolic and Orthodox Creeds and Teachings of the Church Fathers of the first three Ecumenical Councils. The Coptic Church is one of the most ancient Churches in the World (along side the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Rome), having been founded by Saint Mark the Apostle, during the first century A.D. (traditionally, in 43 A.D. or 61 A.D.). Eusebius states, in his Ecclesiastic History, that Saint Mark came to Egypt during the first or third year of the Roman Emperor Claudius (i.e. in 41-42 A.D. or 43-44 A.D.) and he visited Alexandria again, to preach and evangelize, between 61 and 68 A.D. Saint Mark's first convert was a shoemaker of Alexandria, Anianus, who was consecrated a bishop, and later succeeded him as Patriarch. Saint Mark was the first Patriarch of the Coptic Church, and he received his martyrdom in Alexandria on the Feast of Resurrection (Easter) in 68 A.D. at the hands of Pagan Egyptians who were celebrating the feast of Serapis in the great temple of Serapium. The Patriarchs of the Coptic Orthodox Church have continued in a line of unbroken succession from Saint Mark until the present day. The current Patriarch, Pope Shenouda III, is the one hundred and seventeenth Patriarch to occupy the Chair of Saint Mark in the See of Alexandria. The full official title of the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church is "Pope and Patriarch of the great city of Alexandria, the Middle East, Ethiopia, Nubia, and the Pentapolis (*). Throughout the years the Coptic Orthodox Church has stood firm and has remained faithful to her Apostolic Traditions and Orthodox Faith, despite waves of fearful persecutions under pagan Roman Emperors, and to lesser extent under Byzantine and Arab rulers, and in the face of serious heresies that attacked the very fiber and essence of the Christian Faith and threatened to split the Church and all of Christendom. The Egyptians were a deeply religious race by nature and they responded gladly to the preaching of Christian Faith, having been left with a deep spiritual vacuum following the final dethronement of their Pharaoh and god, and the decline of the ancient Egyptian Religion, with its symbol of Ankh, the triads of gods, the eminence of the gods in the land of Egypt, the national devotion to the goddess Isis and her son Horus, the death and the resurrection of a god, and the concepts of future judgement and immortality, had done much to prepare the people for the coming of Christianity. The Egyptians were naturally proud of the fact that Christ has hallowed their land with His presence, during His earthly life. Egypt was indeed blessed by God, as His people (Isaiah 19:25; Hosea 11:1). In 30 B.C., after the defeat of Mark Anthony at the battle of Actium, Egypt has been incorporated into the Roman Empire, bringing an end to the rule of Ptolemies and sounding the final death knoll for the great 3,000 year long Ancient Egyptian Civilization. Egypt now became the granary of Rome, and a source of personal wealth for the Emperor, which resulted in a serious drain upon the resources of the land and the people. However, the external Roman imperial conflicts and troubles over succession to the throne did not directly affect Egypt, and she enjoyed a period of little political change, in which the major event and development was the spread of Christianity throughout the land. By the end of the Second Century, Christianity was well established in Egypt, although there were still pockets of paganism existing side by side with the new Faith. By 190 A.D., the great Church of Alexandria was exchanging Paschal epistles with the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch, concerning the date of Easter, and there were about forty Bishoprics, under the Patriarch of Alexandria, in the North of the country (in the Delta area). By 202 A.D. Eusebius mentioned that there were Christians in the whole Thebaid, in Upper Egypt, 800 km up the Nile Valley. Saint Athanasius states, in his Festal letters, that there were Christians in the small and large oases, in the heart of the desert, by 329 A.D. During the first centuries of the Christian Church, the famous Catechetical School of Alexandria was an important light and means of instruction in the Christian Faith and the study of theology, as well as of knowledge in the Sciences, and the need to discuss and interpret their faith within the philosophical and intellectual milieu of Alexandria scholarship and learning. The pre-Christian school had been founded by Ptolemy Soter in 323 B.C., and during the region of Ptolemy Philadelphus in 288 B.C., it was developed to include, not only Greek philosopher, but also other nationalities, such as the 70 Jewish Rabbis who worked on the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament in Alexandria. The School of Alexandria contained the world famous Library and Museum (the Pagan School), and it became the major set of learning and philosophy for the whole of the Ancient Hellenistic World. The Christian School of Alexandria (called Didascalium) offered instruction in the Christian faith and theology, along side study of the civil science, such as philosophy, medicine, physics, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, mathematics, geometry, astronomy, history, geography, music, and ancient and modern languages. It was open for Catechumens (pagans who believed in Christ but who had not yet been baptized), and for Deacons or Christian students who desired a deeper knowledge and understanding of Christian Doctrine and Faith, as well as for pagans students who were still searching for the Truth. According to Tradition, St. Mark had opened the first Christian Catechetical School in Alexandria for the instruction of the new converts, and during the following two centuries, the Didascalium developed and expanded under the Deanship of great philosophers and doctors of theology, such as Athenagoras, Pantaenus, St. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, St. Athanasius and, St. Didymus the Blind. Under the supervision of St. Pantaenus and St. Clement, the New Testament was translated from Greek into Coptic, a translation which is still highly respected and used to this day in the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Catechetical School of Alexandria has also the Canon of Holy Scripture. Several of the early Deans of the School also became Patriarchs, like Abba Justus, the first dean of the School, who became the 6th Patriarch (132-143 A.D.); Abba Eumanius, 7th Patriarch (143-154 A.D.); Abba Markianos, 8th Patriarch (154-163 A.D.); Abba Heraclus, 13th Patriarch (232-249 A.D.); Abba Dionysius, 14th Patriarch (249-270 A.D.); Abba Petros, the "Seal of the Martyrs", 17th Patriarch (293-303 A.D.), and Abba Archelaus, 18th Patriarch (303 A.D.). Other distinguished teachers or graduates of the school became Patriarchs of the Coptic Church, among whom were Abba Alexandros, 19th Patriarch (303-326 A.D); St. Athanasius the Apostolic, 20th Patriarch (378-384 A.D.); Abba Kyrillos "The Pillar of Faith", 24th Patriarch (412-443 A.D.) and Abba Dioscorus, "The Interpid Hero", 25th Patriarch (444-456 A.D.). These early Patriarchs were considered the "Guardians of Orthodoxy" and their learning earned them the reputation of "Universal Teachers". Graduates from other theological schools, in other parts of the Christian World, later came to study at the school of Alexandria, including St. Gregory the Theologian (329-389 A.D.); St. Basil the Great (330-379 A.D.); St. John Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.); St. Jerome (342-420 A.D.) and St. Rufinus (345-410 A.D.). Thus the School of Alexandria became the Lighthouse of Christianity, for a span of five centuries, until the reign of Justinian (529 A.D.). After 451 A.D. and the Council of Chalcedon, the Emperors of Constantinople, in their persecution against the Copts, closed the school and carried away most of the books, The main center of learning for the Coptic Church was then transferred to the Monastery of St. Macarius, in the Wadi El-Natroun desert, where it continued for several centuries. The Church of Egypt enjoyed peace for almost the first two centuries of her existence, until A.D. 203, when the Emperor Septimus Severus issued an edict forbidding conversions to both Christianity and Judaism. Torture, martyrdom, and the temporary closure of the School at Alexandria resulted. Great persecutions were suffered under Emperor Decius (249-251 A.D.) and in 250 A.D., an imperial edict decreed the enforced offering of worship of idols by every Roman subject, upon the penalty of execution. Cruel persecutions of the Christians continued under Emperor Gaius (251-253 A.D.) and under Emperor Valerian (253-260 A.D.), until the Edict of Tolerance, issued by his successor, Gallienus (260-268 AD), which brought a temporary end to the persecution and allowed churches to be built. However, this period of peace was only a short respite, for with the acceptance to the imperial throne of "Diocletian" in A.D. 284, the most severe and bloodiest period of persecution of the Coptic Church began. In A.D. 303, "Diocletian" issued a decree that ordered all churches to be demolished, all Scriptures and sacred books be burnt and all Christians, who were not officials, to be made slaves. This intense period of persecution resulted in the widespread of torture and the martyrdom of thousands of Christians, because of their courageous testimony for Christ. So many Coptic Christians lost their lives during this period, for their faith, that the Coptic Church dates her calendar from A.D. 284, the year of accession to the imperial throne of Diocletian, and the beginning of the Era of Martyrs (Anno Martyri or A.M.). After the Abdication of Diocletian and the succession of Galerius (305-311 A.D.) and Maximinus Daia (311-313 A.D.), there was a brief respite for Egyptian Christians, but it was not long before a new Edict of Persecution was issued by these two rulers. Only after the accession to the imperial throne of Constantine the Great, his conversion to Christianity and the Edict of Tolerance in A.D. 313, after the Battle of Milan, did Christianity become the recognized religion of the Empire, and the waves of cruel persecution under the pagan Roman emperors finally ceased. The Martyrdom in A.D. 312, of St. Peter, the "Seal of the Martyrs", 17th Patriarch of Alexandria, has set the seal on this terrible period of persecution of the Egyptian Church. The Coptic Synaxarion (selected biographies of Martyrs and Saints for Each day of the year) and the Coptic "Difnar" (Antiphones for the Saint or Saints of the day) are full of stories of these courageous Martyrs. The Feast day of the martyrs is still celebrated on 1 TUT, the first day of the Coptic New Year (11/12 September), to commemorate the faithfulness of these men, woman and children martyrs, whose blood indeed became the "seed of the Church" (Tertullian). Between these waves of persecution however, Christianity spread through Egypt quite rapidly, helped by the siege of Alexandria, which resulted in the movement and importation of soldiers, many of whom were Christians, and also encouraged by zealous and fearless witness of the Martyrs and Confessors. The New faith spread first to Fayoum, which was visited by Anba "Dionysius" in about A.D. 257, and then about 100 km further south. It does not seem to have reached much beyond this until after the time of Decius. After the edict of tolerance, issued by Gallienus in A.D. 260, Christianity quickly spread further south into the Thebaid, and it was here that the great persecutions of Diocletian were most greatly felt. However, Christianity was still not the the religion of the majority of Egyptians, even in the North, although by the end of the 3rd century, over one hundred Bishoprics were established in Egypt. It was only during the 4th Century that the pagan masses of Middle and Upper Egypt were in stages won to Christianity. In A.D. 300, in Oxyrhynchus, there were still twelve Temples and only two Churches. During the 5th Century the situation was reversed and by the 6th Century there were thirty Churches in the vicinity. After A.D. 313 and the Edict of Tolerance, issued by Constantine the Great, Egypt entered into a new era in her history, now under Christian Byzantine rule that was to last until the Islamic Conquest in A.D. 641, Christianity was officially recognized in Egypt, as it was through the Mediterranean world, and the Imperial capital was transferred from the West to Byzantium, which was also renamed Constantinopole. With the new freedom of the Church, a rapid growth of Christianity took place in Egypt, resulting in a mass conversion of the pagan Egyptians to the Christian faith, as is documented in the manuscripts of episcopal lists and monastic writings. (*) It is conceivable that an addition may now be made to this title regarding all the countries of emigration in which there are members of the Coptic Orthodox Church. (Al-Keraza) Source : Al-Keraza magazine [1-3]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- COPTIC CHURCHES IN OLD CAIRO Old Cairo, Masr el Qadima, lies within the old Roman fortress of Babylon. It was not only a walled but heavily fortified city with narrow streets and cobbled alleys. How the name of the famous Babylon of the Euphrates came to be echoed in Egypt is not known. However, the Coptic historian John of Nikou, who lived at the time of the Arab take-over of Egypt, claimed that it was originally built during the Persian occupation of Egypt, 525-332 BC, and that it was at that time called the "Fortress of Babylon". This story is reinforced by a much earlier visitor to the land of the Nile, the classical writer Diodorus Siculus, who asserted that the name was brought by prisoners of war from great Babylon (the 12th Dynasty Pharaoh Senusert, some 2000 years BC, brought them to build public works). These Babylonians, he claimed, revolted against the Egyptians and built a fortification for protection, which had long fallen to ruin when Persians came and rebuilt it keeping the "Fortress of Babylon" name. When the Roman geographer Strabo came to Egypt early in the Christian era, he found that what is now know as "Old Cairo" was, indeed, a fortress town and was occupied by three Roman garrisons. The emperor Trajan (98-117), it was said, cleared a canal that was running through the city and included some urban areas, into the enlarged fortress. Moreover, he cleared a canal connecting the Nile with the Red Sea, which had originally been dug by the pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty, about 600 BC, and was revealed to him by the Egyptians [[ The Suez Canal is hardly a French idea; Egyptians 2500 years earlier connected the Read and Mediterranean seas!]]. By this time the area was known as the "Castle of Babylon". Under the Christian emperor Arcadius (395-408), the Copts began to build numerous churches in Old Cairo. Forty-two are believed to have once stood in an area of about sixty acres, which extended to northwards as far as today's Ezbekieh Gardens, near the Opera Square in Cairo. At the time of the Arab conquest in 641 AD, Babylon was such a sizable community that part of the fortress, including the huge towers and bastions, was connected by walls to the newly founded Arab capital of Fustat. These towers as well as the bastions were at first used as dwellings for the garrison. Later Amr Ibn el-Ass, leader of the Arabs at the time of the conquest, returned to the Copts the land that the Imperial government had taken from them. Forthwith the whole of Old Cairo became inhabited exclusively by Copts and the Arabs recruited local labor from their ranks to build the new capital (refer to the article about Coptic Art, Copt-Net Newsletter, issue #2, for a detailed discussion of the Coptic Craftsmenship). Today, Old Cairo remains rich with Coptic monuments, churches, and monasteries. Coptic churches were rebuilt and restored time and again over the centuries, often re-using wood and stone-work. For this reason some parts of a church may be of earlier date than the structure itself. Although they differ in size and architecture features they bear the unmistakable stamp of a Coptic church. The exteriors are characterized by great simplicity and are often indistinguishable from neighboring, unadorned, brick dwellings flanking a cobbled street. The axis of the building runs east to west with the entrance to the west and the high altar placed in the east nearest the rising run. The interior of the early churches has a simple ground plan in four main divisions: the forecourt or narthex, the main body of the church with the nave higher than the side aisles, a porch or transept, and the inner chambers. The nave, which has an arched timber roof, is separated from the side aisles by columns with supporting arches, enabling a second row of columns to be superimposed on them and providing light from the clerestory. The columns had their shafts painted with figures of saints. The side aisles are also arched with timber but are at a lower level. There was originally a low parapet with curtains separating the main body of the church from the sanctuary, which is usually erected on rising ground and ascended by a few steps. Later the parapet became a rail or screen beyond which only those in holy orders may pass. The sanctuary screen is made of wood, often decorated with geometrical segments of ebony and ivory of intricate workmanship. Facing the congregation (west), icons of Christ the King and the ever Virgin Mary are hung on the northern and southern sides of the screen, which was later called the "icon carrier". It is customary to find icons for Archangel Michael, Saint John the Baptist, and the church's patron saint on the icon carrier. It is common to find ostrich eggs hanging next to the icon carrier, in front of the sanctuary. These eggs are ornaments that symbolize the vigilance with which an ostrich ceaselessly protects its egg, and is consequently meant to remind the congregation that their thoughts should be similarly focusing on spiritual matters. Generally speaking, the Coptic tradition regards the egg as an emblem of the resurrection (the life coming out of the seemingly lifeless egg). The use of eggs as ornaments is undoubtedly adopted from ancient Egyptian customs. Ostrich eggs and pottery eggs have been used as decorative elements in churches and later in mosques that were erected by Copts after the Arabs' conquest of Egypt. Behind the icon carrier are three domed apses (hayakel). The central apse holds the altar of the saint to whom the church is dedicated (the patron of the church). The side apses are used when there is more than one service of the divine liturgy per day. Coptic altars are free-standing and in the middle of the chapel. Behind the central altar there is a tribunal with a throne for a bishop and seats for the officiating clergy. A niche in the wall usually holds a sanctuary lamp, known as the perpetual lamp (kandil). In the early years of Christianity, it was customary to bury the bodies of saints or martyrs beneath the altar, either in a vault or in a crypt beneath the floor of the sanctuary. Most of the old Coptic churches (in particular the desert churches of the monasteries) still possess relics, which are enclosed in a casket beneath a silk brocade or kept beneath glass beside a picture of the patron saint. In the narthex of some of the old churches there is an oblong tank sunk in the floor. This was originally used for libation or blessing of water, for which also sunk in the floor, was used for the foot-washing service commemorating the washing of the disciples' feet by the Lord on Maundy Thursday. Another important feature of old Coptic churches is the location of the baptistry. In the earliest surviving churches (for example the church of Abu Sarga), a candidate for baptism was first received in a small ante chamber and then descended three steps into the baptistry, where he/she was immersed in the consecrated water. When the sacrament was completed he/she received the Eucharist and only then was allowed to enter the church. Only later was the baptistry moved to the side of the narthex of a church (but still before the nave and aisles). This change was in line with the custom of seating the church congregation in the three main parts of the church: the priest and serving deacons around the altar (behind the icon carrier), the believers in the nave, and the believers-to-be in the narthex. And later still, the baptistry was constructed at the end of the northern aisle near the altar. Today, scarcely a church in Egypt has its baptistry outside the main part of the church. Instead, the baptistry is now generally situated at the upper end of the northern aisle of the church. The front is a basin deep enough to allow the priest to fully immerse the child in the consecrated water thrice while pronouncing the baptismal formulary: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the One God, Amen." Coptic churches that were built after the third century, had one of two common floor plans. They were built on the shape of a cross to emphasize that the "redemption is through the church" or they were built on the shape of a ship to emphasize the notion of "the church as a ship protected by God floating in the midst of the world's torrents" (appealing to Noah's ark). Among the important churches in Old Cairo, we cite: The Hanging Church "Al Moallaka", the Church of Saint Sergius "Abu Serga", the Church of Saint Barbara (originally the Church of Saint Cyrus "Abu Kir" and Saint John "Yuhanna"), the Convent of Saint George, and the CoRnvent of Saint Mercurius "Abu Seifein". [[Special articles will be devoted to each one of these landmarks in separate issues of the Copt-Net newsletter.]] Today, building new churches in the predominantly Moslem Egypt is quite difficult. A Presidential permit must be obtained to build a new church and very few permits have been awarded in the last few decades. As a result, Copts find themselves obliged to unofficially transform their houses, garages, etc. to places of worship so as to accommodate their growing communities, especially that outdoor public Christian worship is generally not allowed. Unfortunately, such haphazardly "adapted" churches bear little (if any) resemblance to the structure and architecture of the ancient churches of Egypt. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- A DUTCH UNIVERSITY IN THE EGYPTIAN DESERT Dr. Karel C. InneMee Leiden University, The Netherlands It may be a well-known fact that Wadi-El-Natroun [The part of the Egypt's Western Desert between Cairo and Alexandria] has four of Egypt's historical monasteries, but less people may be familiar with the treasures that these monasteries have within their walls. In a number of churches there, important discoveries of wall-paintings have been made during recent years and the collections of the monasteries count important manuscripts, icons and objects and vestments for liturgical use. In other Coptic monasteries such as Deir Anba Antonious and Deir Anba Paula we can find church architecture, wall paintings and collections of religious art of comparable importance. Unlike the treasures in the Coptic Museum in Cairo, these works of art are not on Display for visitors to admire, but they are still in use, often daily during the services in the churches. In this way the Coptic monks are continuing a centuries-old tradition, but at the same time, valuable architecture and objects run more the risks of damage by wear and tear. Although monks are not museum curators, they are the ones responsible for the preservation of the valuable objects reflecting the history of their religious culture. The history of Coptic art and culture is not taught at any Egyptian University. In order to provide those responsible for the preservation of Coptic art, in and outside museums in Egypt, with courses concerning this subject, Professor Paul van Moorsel (Professor of Coptic art at Leiden University, The Netherlands) has taken the initiative of offering such courses in Egypt. The project is Called the Egyptian-Netherlands Cooperation in Coptic Art Preservation (ENCCAP) and is executed by staff-members of Leiden University, sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation. In October of 1991, the first courses were given at the Institute of Coptic Studies at the Patriarchate in Abassiya, Cairo. In December of the same year, courses commenced at Deir Anba Bishoi in Wadi-El-Natroun. In Cairo, the lessons are given to students professionally involved with Coptic art and to all who are interested in these subjects. The lectures in the monastery, however, are given to monks from all over Egypt. So far, six monasteries have been represented by almost 30 monks. Apart from the lectures which deal with Christian art in general and Coptic art in particular, the monks are given practical lessons. This has so far meant excursions to the monasteries in Wadi-El-Natroun to see the churches with their wall-paintings and icons and to discuss the problems concerning the preservation of this heritage for the future. The training aims at teaching the monks to do research in the field of iconography, history of architecture and other fields of history art. When the courses finish, the real work will only have started. We hope that by then a number of monks will have acquired a basic but good knowledge of the history of their religious art and will be able to help preserving the Material heritage of the Coptic Church. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- ANBA ABRAAM (1829-1914) The friend of the poor The mystery of the greatness in our Father Anba Abraam is that he was a man of prayer. The prayer in our church is not a troublesome routine, nor a hard law that we are subject to, but a taste of sweetness of being sons of God. We converse intimately with him, and also with love we blame him kindly !! In tear we proclaim our repentance, and with joy we thank him. We do not only pray for our benefits, but also, for the benefit of others. Our holy father devoted his life for pray, as he loved God. He was filled with power. He was accustomed to gather all his children every evening, at his home to pray the psalms and to read some chapters of the Holy Bible. The people who slept in the room close to his, related that he used to rise up at midnight to pray the psalms and stay up until dawn. And he used to repeat the words : "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me", praying it with zeal. All who met him testified that his prayers were very deep in spirit until his senility. The English writer LEADER said : "It was with deep emotion that I looked into the face of this modern saint ....... To doubt his right to the title was impossible for the power of a pure and beautiful soul itself felt at once, with a force that was almost overwhelming". "The eyes looked out of a calm, grave face, fringed with a small white beard, which in no way obscured the sensitive mouth. The turban was worn father back than is usual. Leaving the broad unwrinkled forehead to suggest that the ascetic, in this case, had been governed by a fine intelligence". "Taking the cross in his right hand, and holding it closely over our heads, the Bishop poured out, mostly in the Coptic language, in tones of rapt devotion, the wonderful prayers and blessing of his Church". "Of the mere words, I of course recognized little, except the often repeated "Kyrie Eleison" (Lord have mercy). But I was thrilled nevertheless by the childlike earnestness of the man who uttered them; never had I heard prayer which seemed to establish a link with the Throne of Grace with such instant security; it seemed as if earth fell away , to leave this man speaking in clear presence of God himself". Late Naguib bey Erian said that some believers saw a beam of light coming out of his window at night while he was praying. The man of God, Anba Abraam loved Jesus Christ, and had communion with God on the basis of going on the way to Golgotha following the Cross, where he left everything willingly. Was refused and humiliated from people for the sake of the heavenly glory. He left all his personal dignity with will and joy and without grumbling. He was a loving kind father for the poor and the rich alike, and he was never conceited. The British author Mr. Leader investigated everything about the character and life of our father after he had visited him. He said he always saw our Bishop hiding his hands with the sleeve of his garment in order to prevent any one from kissing his hands. Mr. Leader said: "It is usual, I believe, in every Christian church to Kneel in receiving a bishop's blessing but on no account would Anba Abraam consent to any person kneeling before him "To God alone" he said , "was such obeisance due". He was distressed that I felt obliged to kneel , but when I explained that my first reverence was to God , and then to his good servant, he gently gave way". The Bishop never permitted any of the deacons to say in his presence any statement, that they usually say before reading the Bible to show their respect to him. He absolutely did not distinguish himself from his people, and he never sat on a chair different from that of his sons. In the sanctuary he used to stand up all the time during the liturgy when he got older and weaker he used to sit down on the carpet when ever he get tired. Our father Anba Abraam was very pleased when any of his sons called him "Our father", and never permitted anyone to call him "Our Master". When the Pope wanted to give him the higher rank of "Metropolitan", he refused completely. We can clearly see the kindness of this Bishop through the stories told by the people: "Once, during the service of sun lay morning the Bishop noticed that the deacons were not keeping harmony in their prayers. After the service had ended he remarked to the "teacher" about that. The teacher misunderstood him and did not attend the evening prayers on that day. The Bishop inwardly feeling the teacher's anger due to his misunderstanding went to his home asking for forgiveness. When the teacher saw him he wept saying "I beg you to forgive me". Then the Bishop returned to his home late at night. When the Bishop became very famous, he did not leave his children and escape in the desert, flying from vainly glory, but he only refused to meet any one coming to him merely for honoring him. This is what the British writer witnessed; saying: "The old man apparently had no liking for the idea of being sought out by a traveler as a celebrity; this was not his Master's work. If any man is poor, or sad, or ill, or had need in anyway spiritual advice, or counsel, then he could see him, but not otherwise". When the Prince Serguios (Uncle of Nicola of Russia) and his wife, heard about him they came to visit him in 1898. The Governor received them, and the Coptic Noblemen of El-Fayoum tried to buy new furniture for the Bishop's home, but the Bishop refused completely. The visitors came and bowed in front of him on the ground, and he prayed for them. When they offered him a bag full of golden pounds, he refused and lastly he took one pound and gave it to his son Rizk. The Prince said that he did not feel such as inspiring awe all his life as at that moment when he was standing in front of this saint Anba Abraam. [to be continued ..] Source : Anba Abraam, the friend of the poor, St George Coptic Orthodox Church Sporting, Alexandria. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This Newsletter has been prepared by members of Copt-Net, a forum _|_ where news, activities, and services of the Coptic Orthodox Churches | and Coptic communities outside Egypt are coordinated and exchanged. | For any questions, or comments related to this Newsletter, as well as COP|NET any topics that you would like to be addressed in the next Newsletter please send a message to Copt-Net server at: cn-request@pharos.bu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------