CHURCHNEWS an electronic magazine for Immigrant Egyptian Churches in the world _________________________________________________________________________ 'ChurchNews' is a selected translation of the News section in the Arabic Church magazine El-Keraza. _________________________________________________________________________ Keraza No.: 15, 16 I | X Date: Friday Apr 24th 1998 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< -- + -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Y | O Read in this issue ------------------ Happy Easter............................................................ Pope Shenouda ordains the first Patriarch for the Eritrean Orthodox Church HH meetings............................................................. Miscellaneous News...................................................... Endnotes................................................................ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= H A P P Y E A S T E R =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Accompanied by Their Graces Bishops Timotheos, Ruweis, Boutros, Joannes and Gabriel, HH Pope Shenouda celebrated the Easter Mass at St Mark Cathedral which lasted till 4:00 am. Came for greetings Metropolitan Ghayess (Head of the Anglican church) and Dr Safwat El-Bayady (Head of the Evangelical church). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Pope Shenouda ordains the first Patriarch for the Eritrean Orthodox Church =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= No doubt, it is a historical event. On May 8th '98 (St Mark feast), the ordination shall take place at St Mark Cathedral. Following an invitation from Eritrea, HH delegated HE Abba Bishoy (secretary of the Holy Synod) to participate in the nomination procedures. HE traveled on Tuesday Apr 14th (in the Holy week) till Friday Apr 17th'98. First he met with Mr Asaeyas Afurky President of Eritrea who discussed this subject with him. Then HE was accompanied by Mr Dragon (Delegate of the minister of Interior) for several meetings. After many discussions, it was agreed unanimously to choose HG Abba Phillopos (General Bishop of Asmara) to be ordained Patriarch. For the Ethiopian church Synod members he is the eldest and oldest to be ordained bishop. The remaining members (seven bishops) were all ordained by HH in two times. All will come to Egypt. And from now many preparations are taking place for the ordination: Rites, translation, clergy Uniform and accomodation. It would be also a chance to formulate a protocol describing the relations between both the Coptic and the Eritrean churches. The new Patriarch shall remain some time in Egypt till the time of His enthronment in Asmara, Eritrea. HH Pope Shenouda shall go to Eritrea to enthrone the new Patriarch where special festivals will take place on this historical day and he will offer for the Eritrean church the throne where their Patriarch shall sit. Our best congratulations for the Eritrean church for the stability of it's service after it was just a diocese following the church in Ethiopia. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= H H M E E T I N G S =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= On Tuesday (following Easter), HH received HG Abba Gregorius who had spent the former week at St Mina monastery (Mariut). In the Period Apr 26-29 '98, HG Abba Joannes travels to Norway, Finland and Denmark for some of the work of BLESS. HH appointed Fr Moussa El-Suriany at his secretariat. He appointed him as well Confessional father for some nunneries. Fr Moussa began his work in the Holy week. Heg.Moussa had served long years in Australia, and before he had served in San Fransisco CA, USA. A piece of land on the area of 144 acres was bought in Red Air, Alberta Canada to build a church, retreat house and Coptic center. They had wanted to have a monastery there. After 2 months in USA, on Apr 6th '98, Heg Shenouda El-Baramosy returned to Cairo. In New Jersey and Boston he accompanied HH and in Washington where he attended the consecration of the new church. Then, HH left him there to meet with his children whom he served in Virginia and Maryland. As usual, HH Pope Shenouda spent the Holy week at St Bishoy monastery. There he celebrated Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday masses. On Tuesday he prayed the Paschal Offices at Virgin Mary El-Baramous, St Bishoy and Virgin Mary (Syrian) monasteries. Then he traveled to Alexandria to pray in the Great St Mark Cathedral. He prayed and gave a lecture at St George (Sporting) church and returned the same evening to the monastery. On Thursday Apr 2nd, HE Abba Bishoy traveled to Lebanon to attend the Preparatory Comittee meeting for the General Assembly of the 7th MECC Middle East Council of Churches which shall be held next year in Beirut-Lebanon. Attended with HE from the Oriental Orthodox: Mar Theophilos George-Saliba (Syrian Orthodox) and HG Siboah Sarkessian (Armenian Orthodox). Then on Saturday Apr 4th, HE Abba Bishoy returned to Cairo. After the farewell of HH at Cairo airport (when leaving for Austria), their graces Abba Sarabamon (Abbot of St Bishoy monastery) and Abba Tadros (Bishop of PortSaid) began their yearly care trip. On Thursday Apr 30th '98, the first Oriental Orthodox "Standing Comittee" meeting shall take place in Maaret Sidana (Syrian Orthodox) monastery, Damascus. Both HE Abba Bishoy and HG Abba Moussa shall represent the Coptic side. While Mar Johanna Ibrahim and Mar George Saliba represent the Syrian side, Bishop Siboah Sarkessian and Archmandrite Narik Alimazyan represent the Armenian side. Finally, with the help and assistance of General Mohamed Sayed Mahgub, Governor of Alexandria, the architectural management in Alexandria issued an approval No 116/1998 to build Virgin Mary and St Cyril the Great church (Cleopatra). A presidental decree No 296/1987 had been previously issued in this concern. On Saturday Apr 4th, HH received the prior of the Patriarchate in Alexandria and many priests. On Apr 9th, HH presided the general congregational council meeting. The discussed topic was "Coptic Colleges". On Tuesday Apr 7th, HH received Eng. Maher Farid (Germany) who discussed building a Cancer hospital for children. Attended the meeting Abba Joannes, Abba Gabriel and Dr Nabil Sobhy. On Thursday Apr 8th, HH received Dr Ragheb Moftah, Head of the Music Dept at the ICS Institute of Coptic Studies. HH asked about his health after he exceeded 98 years of age and listened to his actual work of writing the history of Coptic music and appointed a special car of BLESS for his transportations. On Tuesday Apr 21st HG Abba Ruweis traveled to New York. Both on Friday and Saturday Apr 24-25, he prayed at St George Philadelphia then returned back to Jersey. On Sunday Apr 26th he prayed at Virgin Mary (East Brunswick). On Apr 27 he arrived to Montreal Canada. Wednesday Apr 29, he prayed at St Mark Cathedral, Thursday in Virgin Mary and Friday in St George. On Saturday May 2nd he arrives to Ottawa: >From Wednesday he arrives to Toronto and surrounding and prays in St Mark, St George and St Demyana churches and in our churches in Brampton, Hamilton and Kitchener. On Friday May 15th (St Athanasios Feast), he celebrates a Holy Mass at Virgin Mary and St Athanasios (Mississauga). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M I S C E L L A N E O U S N E W S =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= On Sham El-Nessim day (Monday after Easter), in Virgin Mary (Syrian monastery) garden, following an ancient habit never stopped since the time of the late Bishop Theophilos (former Abbot of the Syrian monastery), HH Pope Shenouda celebrated with 26 metropolitan and bishop and hundreds of monks. On the same day, at St Bishoy monastery, HH received Abba Marcos, bishop of Shubra El-Khema with two priests and girls at the church orphanage (Primary, preparatory, high school, institutes) along with their supervisors. HH offered them some presents and small crosses. [Picture] A picture of them all was taken. (They were around 55 person). [Picture] This picture returns back to 1973 during Pope Shenouda's journey to Ethiopia on the feast of the cross. During divine liturgy, HH is seen giving the holy sacraments to the late His Majesty 'Heil Selassy' Emperor of Ethiopia. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Endnotes: -------- HH : His Holiness, title for Popes and Patriarchs. HE : His Eminence, title for Metropolitans. HG : His Grace, title for Bishops. Heg. or Hg. : Hegumen, prior priest. Dcn : Deacon, for full deacons. BLESS : Bishopric of Public Ecumenical and Social services. Abba : Old Coptic word meaning father, used for Coptic metropolitans, bishops and the Pope. Abuna: Arabic word meaning "Our Father" used to address priests and hegumens. Servant: Volunteer steward in the Coptic church activities, sometimes used to designate Sunday school teachers. Mayamer: in singular (Meimar) Syrianic word designating biography of a saint. Tamav : Coptic word meaning "my mother" used as title for abbesses and any mother superior of a Coptic convent. Tasoni : Coptic word meaning "my sister" used as title for Coptic deaconness or priest wife. Sayedna: Arabic word "Our Master" used to address the Pope, metropolitans and bishops. Prior : 1- (Abuna El-Wekeel) In Cairo and Alexandria Patriarchates, a married priest or hegumen delegated by the Pope to manage churches and priests in the Pope's diocese. There exist a prior for the Patriarchate in Cairo (Cairo churches), another in Alexandria (Alexandria churches) n.b. Those two priors are the only married priests who are members of the Holy Synod of the Coptic church. 2- (El-Robbeta) In a monastery, a prior is a monk, usually a priest monk chosen by the abbot to manage the monastery affairs when the abbot is away. Holy Synod: Presided by the Pope, the synod gathers all Coptic Orthodox Metropolitans and Bishops + the 2 Patriarchates' priors in Cairo and Alexandria. Congregational Council: (Maglis Milli) Laymen council assisting in managing the church affairs. The general Congregational council in Cairo, presided by HH Pope Shenouda and including 24 laymen (12 member+12 delegate). Regional congregational councils exist in all dioceses they are presided by the diocese bishop and include 5 members each. NY : New York NJ : New Jersey DC : District of Columbia, Capital of the United States of America. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=