Keraza Nos 37,38 dated Friday 9 November 2001 Keraza Nos 37,38 dated Friday 9 November 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Miscellaneous News ------------------------------------------------------------------ In the evening of Monday 22nd October 2001, Pope Shenouda received Prof Dr Hamed Bin Ahmed El-Refaie, President of the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue. The meeting was reigned by a spirit friendship and exchange of views where Dr Hamed invited HH to participate at the conference that would take at the Sheraton (Heliopolis) in Cairoin cooperation with the International Islamic Council for Daawa and Relief during the period 28-29 October 2001 to review the political deteriorations following the bombing events of 11 September last and their security consequences on both the regional and international levels. Pope Shenouda accepted the invitation, he spoke at the plenary session of the conference and met with several press and TV people after the meeting. On Tuesday 30th October 2001 morning, at the Papal Residence in Cairo, Pope Shenouda received Prof Dr Serry Nabih the President of the Jerusalem League and the responsible of the Jerusalem file at the Palestinian Authority (successor of Mr Faisal El-Husseiny) as well as His Excellency Zohdy El-Kedra the Palestinian Ambassador in Egypt and Mr Ramy Tahbub the responsible of Arab World Affairs at the Palestinian Authority. The discussion went about the big destruction caused by Israel in Bethlehem before its withdrawal and the number of victims. On Monday 29 October 2001 morning, Pope Shenouda received Mr Aly Nasser former president of Yemen and head of the People Committee for the Support of the Intifada. The meeting was attended by Dr Refaat El-Saeed member of the committee and Bishop Joannes. The discussion was about the Palestinian Intifada and the pains endured by Palestinians in the occupied territories. The Coptic church celebrates the 10th anniversary of the enthronement of Pope Shenouda. Celebrations shall begin from Alexandria as the Seat of St Mark on Thursday 8 November 2001. The celebrations are attended by the Pope and his brothers in the apostolic ministry HH Mor Ignatius Zakka Eiwass I Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church, HH Catholicos Aram I (Armenian Orthodox  Celicia Lebanon) and Abune Philippos Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church. The celebrations are also attended by heads of the MECC Middle East Council of Churches and other church leaders in Egypt and the whole region. The celebrations shall take place in the period 9-13 November 2001 at St Mark Cathedral in Cairo where documentaries shall be turned everyday concerning the work of God in the church and its modern renaissance in Egypt and immigration countries throughout the 30 years. The documentaries are produced by Mr Samir Fahmy. A new web site shall be constructed on the Internet for the Holy Synod of the Coptic church. This latter shall be subordinate to the current web site of the Papal Residence and shall include all decisions taken by the Holy Synod as well as its activities throughout the 30 years and shall be periodically updated with the latest data. On Tuesday 6 November 2001, Pope Shenouda inaugurates the yearly church fair. This takes place at St Athanasios Hall under St Mark Cathedral. The fair this year includes handicrafts, productions and publications of different Coptic churches, Dioceses, General Bishoprics, monasteries and Christian Publication Houses. It shall be opened daily till 15th October 2001. An adjacent Photo and Video Gallery shall be also available to the public displaying the dimensions of the revival of the Coptic church. Another adjacent exposition displays all publications of Pope Shenouda as well as Audio and Videotapes and CDs. The committee directing the celebrations has printed souvenirs (key rings, T-shirts, pensetc.) with the logo of the event. The Choirs` Committee has printed T-shirts for singers of different Coptic choirs everyday and the scout groups shall take care of organizing the entry and exit of people and cars to the area. And as it happened during the jubilee celebrations, there shall be special permits for cars entering the area. At the occasion of the martyrdom feast of St Ruweis and the altar lot, Pope Shenouda celebrated a liturgy on Wednesday 31 October 2001 along with bishops and priests morning and anointed the relics of the saints with spices at St Ruweis Church. On Wednesday 23 October 2001 morning, HE Metropolitan Bishoy flew to Lebanon to attend the Faith and Unity Sector of MECC the Middle East Council of Churches. During the meeting, they discussed activities led by the Sector and the Manual for Ecumenical Work. They studied the book Explanation of the Creed recently published by the WCC World Council of Churches. HE had presented a paper concerning this book to WCC representing the two Orthodox Families following the Orthodox discussions led in Moscow last September. HE was elected to represent the Orthodox family at the committee formulating the Manual for Ecumenical Work in the Middle East. He flew back to Cairo on Saturday 27 October 2001. On Saturday 17 November 2001 morning, a liturgy shall be celebrated by Bishop Gabriel at Virgin Mary Cathedral Beni-Sweif to remember the first year for the departure of the late Metropolitan Athanasios of Beni-Sweif and Bahnasa. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Departure of Bishop Gregorius ------------------------------------------------------------------ Important Dates in His life: * Born in Aswan 13th October 1919 in the name Wahib Atallah Gerges * Graduated from the Theological Seminary 1939 * License in Fine Arts 1944 * Diploma in Antiquities 1951 * Monk on 16 September 1962 in the name Monk Pachome El-Moharaky * Priest and hegumen on the 2nd of June 1963 * Bishop on 10 May 1967 in the name Bishop Gregorius * Departed on 22nd of October 2001 On Monday 22nd October 2001 at midnight, Bishop Gregorius departed from our vanishing world, a man of study and a son of the theological seminary. For many years, he was bishop of Scientific Research and Coptic Culture, he was also responsible for the Theological Seminary and wrote tens of books in various fields of religious studies. He always had a great fame even as layman, and he was nominated for the Patriarchate on 1957 after the departure of Pope Jusep II (Al-Asdika` Association nominated him while he was still a layman). Yet the rules of the charter didnt apply for him. He was re-nominated on 1971 after the departure of Pope Kyrillos VI. And the rules of the charter didnt apply for him again because he was less than 9 years as monk. Yet he was consecrated as general bishop on 10th May 1967 (he had been monk for 5 years then). He passed away at the age of 82. Out of which he was bishop for 34 years. At his last days, his grace had suffered from lever cancer that spread to other parts of the body and reached his bones. Nothing could be done except tranquilizer drugs. Before cancer, HG had suffered for years from Alzheimer that prevented him following his mission in the education and teaching of people. He endured all that with patience and prayers. Everybody was touched by his departure and St Mark Cathedral was crowded with thousands of people who came to pay him farewell at his funeral. The funeral prayers were led by Pope Shenouda and some 35 metropolitans and bishops. It was attended by a large number of clergy from his disciples and those who learned from him, archons and members of the GCC General Congregational Council. Catholic Metropolitans Anba Andrawes, Anba Macarius, Anba Youssef Dergham (Maronite) and Anba Youssef Zreiei (delegate of the Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorius Lahham). Anglican priests Fr Gebrail Yanni and Fr Tony Andrews (delegates of Archbishop Mounir Hanna) and Dr Ramez Attallah (Head of the Bible Society). It was also attended by General Ahmed Mustafa (Security of State) and General Abdel-Hamid El-Berrawy (delegate of the Presidency he came in the evening). Pope Shenouda led the prayers and spoke of his relation to the late Bishop Gregorius that dates back to 60 years. He mentioned that Bishop Gregorius was a colleague to the Popes brother at the seminary and also mentioned that they taught together at the theological seminary. HH said that Bishop Gregorius loved research and reading to the big extent. His teachings were comprehensive in various fields of religious topics. He received a doctorate degree from England for his thesis entitled The Greek Words in the Coptic usage and he mastered Coptic, Greek and Arabic and had big knowledge of Ancient Egyptian and hieroglyphs. The Pope mentioned some examples of books written by HG: books in moral theology, liturgy, 7 sacraments of the church, a set concerning Christ the Son of God, fasts, feasts, angels and spirits. He wrote also books about Greek, Jewish and Christian philosophies especially about Augustin and Alexandrian early philosophers like Athinagorus and Pentinus. He also wrote in old comparative theology about Epiunism, Apolinarism, Origenism, Arianism, nestorianism and Pelagianism. He made also many studies in the Holy Bible and documented the position of the Coptic church concerning several national events. HG Bishop Gregorius was a good reader in a wide spectrum of subjects and at the same time, he was simple in his person. Sometimes we disagreed on theological or pastoral matters, yet we kept our friendship. When he used to visit me during feasts, or I visited him in his residence or in hospital, he used to pray for me a lot deep from his heart. He used to take my hand and say: May the Lord be with you, may He keep and protect you. He wrote a will concerning the place of his burial and we applied it as much as we could. May the Lord grant his soul joy in the paradise of joy. ------------------------------------------------------------------