Keraza No.23, 24 - Friday 20 July 2001

                                Keraza No.23, 24 - Friday 20 July 2001
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     On Friday 6 July 2001, Pope Shenouda drove to Alexandria where he
     lectured at St George Church (Sporting) on the occasion of the
     Week of Youngsters. The next day, he headed the meeting of the
     Alexandria Priests Council, then he attended the meeting of the
     Charity Committee for Christ's brothers. In the evening, he met
     with the member and director of the Association of Archangel
     Michael in Moharam Bey, this meeting was also attended by Hegumen
     Sherubim El-Pachomy the prior of the Patriarchate in Alexandria.
     On Sunday morning, he had a meeting with President Mubarak. In the
     evening, he lectured at St Mark Cathedral before heading back to
     Cairo.

     On Sunday 8 July 2001evening, President Mubarak received Pope
     Shenouda at Ras El-Tin Palace in Alexandria. It was a nice and
     frank meeting where Pope Shenouda thanked the president for the
     position he took in condemning the newspaper. A complete agreement
     covered many other topics and the meeting was mentioned in all the
     mass media.

     On Tuesday 17 July 2001 morning, a seminar shall be held under the
     auspices of Pope Shenouda for Coptic Metropolitans and Bishops at
     St Bishoy Monastery to discuss some theological matters.

     On Monday 9 July 2001, a presidential decree No 218/2001 was
     issued to form an Administration Board for the Coptic Orthodox
     Endowments Authority. Members of this board shall be: The Coptic
     Orthodox Pope (Head), Metropolitan Bishoy of Damiet and Kafr
     El-Cheikh, Metropolitan Pachomius of Behera & Matruh, Metropolitan
     Dometius of Giza, Bishop Serapamon abbot of St Bishoy Monastery,
     Bishop Arsenius of El-Minya, the General Bishop Joannes, Engineer
     General Abdou Isaac Raphael, Engineer General Tewfik Isaac, Dr
     George Ramsey Estinu, Adviser Melek Mina Georgy, Mr Munsef Nagib
     Soliman and Dr Wagdy Louis Abdel-Nur. Headed by Pope Shenouda, the
     new board is expected to have it's first meeting on Tuesday 24
     July.

     On Monday 9 July 2001 evening, Pope Shenouda met with lawyers who
     asked for the suspension of El-Nabaa & Akher Khabar Newspapers at
     the Administrative Court. Adviser Ahmed Aboul-Fadl (former head of
     the State Council), Prof Dr Atef El-Banna (Professor of Law at the
     Law Faculty Cairo University), Adviser Munsef Nagib Soliman (who
     prepared the memorandum), Adviser Gabriel Ibrahim, Mr Fekry Habib
     (helped in preparing the memorandum) and Mr Fayez Lundy (member of
     the board of the Lawyers Syndicate). The meeting was attended by
     Adviser Edward Ghaleb member of the General Congregational
     Council. The Pope greeted them all in public during the Wednesday
     weekly lecture. We should also like to mention that both the
     lawyers Dr Shawky El-Sayed (member of the Senate) and Dr Mohamed
     Mirghany (Professor at the Faculty of Law Ain Shams University)
     asked to defend in this case.

     After nominations had reached Pope Shenouda in the Lecture of
     Wednesday 11 July 2001, it was decided that consecrations of new
     bishops should take place in this coming Nairouz Feast (11
     September 2001): Heg Moussa El-Suriany (Bishop for Beni-Mazar) and
     Heg Ezra Anba-Bishoy (Bishop fof Magaga & Edwa).

     On Tuesday 3 July 2001, HE Metropolitan Mina of Gerga was
     successfully operated at El-Haya Hospital in Heliopolis. Pope
     Shenouda delegated both Bishops Moussa of the Youth and Joannes to
     ask about his health.

     On Tuesday 10 July 2001, Maitre Fayek Fahim the lawyer of Pope
     Shenouda departed from our vanishing world. This man with wide
     though and experience volunteered to defend different cases for
     the Patriarchate, monasteries, churches and dioceses which he
     successfully did in all devotion and honesty. Headed by Pope
     Shenouda, the funeral was held at Virgin Mary and St Bishoy
     Church. The funeral was attended by many bishops amongst were
     Bishops Boutros, Macarius, Daniel, Joannes, Serapamon (Sudan),
     Gabriel, Maximos, Seraphim, Apollo, Martiros as well as a number
     of priests and many people who loved and respected him. May the
     Lord grant him joy in the paradise of joy and grant condolence to
     his family and all who knew his deeds.

     After a long struggle with illness, Greek Catholic Patriarch
     Maximos Hakim of Egypt departed from our vanishing world. He had a
     strong friendship with Pope Shenouda and loved our Coptic church.
     He was meek and gentle. On Tuesday 3 July 2001, the funeral was
     held in Harisa, Lebanon. And he was buried the next day in
     Damascus. The Pope has visited him in the Mount of Lebanon during
     his last illness and was very touched to learn about his
     departure. On Friday 6 July 2001, a condolence meeting was held in
     his memory and was attended by Bishops Boutros and Joannes
     accompanied by Fr Jeremiah Avva-Mina and Mr Gerges Saleh. Our deep
     condolence for the Greek Cathoolic church in Egypt and the Middle
     East. May the Lord remember for this Patriarch his love, meekness
     and gentleness.

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