Keraza Nos 43, 44 - Dated Friday 21 December 2001

                      Keraza Nos 43, 44 - Dated Friday 21 December 2001
     ------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Miscellaneous News
     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     On Thursday 6 December 2001 evening, HH Pope Shenouda held an
     Iftar banquet at the Cathedral of St Mark in Cairo on the occasion
     of the month of Ramadan. It was attended by more than 600
     officials and important figures in the country. Dr Fathy Sorur, Dr
     Tantawy and the Pope gave several talks that revealed a marvelous
     spirit and relation between Christian and Moslem. The main table
     included Pope Shenouda, Prime Minister Dr Aref Ebeid, Cheikh of
     El-Azhar Dr Tantawy, Head of the Parliament Dr Fathy Sorur, Head
     of the Senate Dr Mustafa Kamal Helmy, Former Prime Minister Dr Aly
     Lotfy and the Grand Mufti Dr Nasr Farid Wasel. It is worth to note
     that Pope Shenouda attended 3 other Iftar banquets: The Ministry
     of Endowments Banquet on Monday 3 December, the State Council
     Banquet on Friday 7 December and the Banquet in Alexandria on
     Saturday 8 December 2001. This latter was held by the Patriarchate
     in Alexandria. Talks were given there by Adv. Fouad Gerges deputy
     of the Congregational Council, Heg Sherubim El-Pachomy the prior
     of the Patriarchate in Alexandria, the deputy of the Ministry of
     Endowments, the deputy of El-Azhar, Dr Eissa Gerges the deputy of
     the Congregational Council of Alexandria and Poet Nashaat Agha.
     Talks were concluded by a talk of Mr Abdel-Salam Mahgub the mayor
     of Alexandria and a word of Pope Shenouda.

     On Thursday 13 December 2001 morning, Pope Shenouda drove on to
     El-Azhar Secretariat in order to present greetings for Islamic
     Leaders for Bayram. HH began by paying a visit to the Grand Cheikh
     Dr Tantawy and then he wished best greetings to Dr Nasr Farid
     Wassel the Grand Mufti. HH was accompanied with Bishops Morcos,
     Joannes and Athanasios along with Dr Tharwat Bassili, Adv. Melek
     Mina and Adv. Edward Galeb from the General Congregational Council
     and Heg Mina Avva-Mina. The party greeted finally Dr Hamdy Zaqzuq
     the Egyptian Minister of Endowments.

     On Friday 7 December 2001 evening, Pope Shenouda received Armenian
     Orthodox Metropolitan Mesrop Krikorian of Austria and Metropolitan
     Shenshenian of Egypt. They discussed the forthcoming enrollment of
     a number of Armenian students in the Theological Seminary in
     Cairo. HH Catholicos Karekin II would nominate those students.
     They also discussed during the meeting the legal status of the
     Coptic church in Austria.

     HG General Bishop Ruweis shall have a two-weeks journey to England
     and Italy. The schedule would be as follows: Tuesday 18 December
     (Evening Raising of Incense at Brighton), Wednesday 19 December
     (St Mark Church), Friday 21-Monday 24 December (Churches of Milan
     with Bishop Kirollos), Thursday 27 December (Birmingham), Friday
     28 December (Archangel Michael North London), Saturday 29 December
     (A spiritual day in Stevenage under the theme "Family and Raising
     Children" and in the evening at Croydon) Sunday 30 December
     (Liturgy at St Mark London).

     On Saturday 15 December 01, Pope Shenouda received at the
     Patriarchate in Alexandria Dr Mounir Hanna the head of the
     Anglican Church of Egypt who was accompanied by Kenen Andrew White
     representing the Archbishop of Canterbury.

     On Tuesday 3 December 2001, the Oriental Orthodox churches in USA
     held an ecumenical liturgy at the Armenian Orthodox Church. The
     liturgy was celebrated by MorKirollos Karim (Syrian Orthodox),
     Abba Khagag Barsamian (Armenian Orthodox) and Abba David (Coptic
     Orthodox) as well as Heg Daoud Bebawy and Heg Yacoub Ghali.

     We learned from the priests of Virgin Mary and St Mina church in
     Sydney that the City Council allowed to receive the upper floor of
     St Mina old church in Sydneyham in order to transform it into an
     Egyptian Coptic Museum.

     At the Papal Residence in Cairo,  Pope Shenouda received Heg
     Bishoy Dimitry the priest of Virgin Mary church in East Brunswick
     USA. Pope Shenouda had ordained him at the end of his first visit
     to USA on 1977 and he is now celebrating the 25th anniversary of
     his ordination with our deepest greetings.

     Under the care of Pope Shenouda, supervision of Metropolitan
     Pachomius of Behera Matruh and Pentapolis and auspices of Bishop
     Abraam of Fayoum, the Pastoral and Ministering Committee of the
     Coptic Holy Synod held a study circle for all servants of Prisons
     and Faith Support in the period 26-29 November 2001 at St Abraam
     Monastery in El-Azab Fayoum. The theme was "Drugs and their
     danger". It included some 12 lectures and many group discussions.
     It emphasised that faith should be supported for the faithful in
     churches. The minutes were recorded by Heg Boutros Bestavros and F
     r Boulos Fouad. Recommendations and a global report were issued at
     the end of the period and were included in the records of the
     Pastoral and Ministring Committee of the Holy Synod. The circle
     was attended by Metropolitans and Bishops Pachomius, Bishoy,
     Moussa, Abraam, Lukas, Daniel and Isodorus along with 100 priests
     and a number of deacons and deaconesses in various dioceses all
     over the country.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------