Keraza Nos 3, 4 - Dated Friday 18 January 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Nativity Feast Greetings ------------------------------------------------------------------ On Sunday 6 January 2002 night, Pope Shenouda celebrated the liturgy of the Feast of Nativity at St Mark Cathedral which concluded at 3:00 am. Many bishops co-celebrated with him namely bishops Ruweis, Boutros, Daniel, Joannes, Siluanes and Martyros as well as a number of priests, monks, Choir of the Theological Seminary and HICS. In the homily, the Pope talked about Reconciliation as a mission of our Lord. In the morning of the following day, Pope Shenouda received in person many responsible people who came to present their best wishes to the Coptic Church for Nativity amongst were the Prime Minister, the Heads of the Parliament and Senate, the Grand Sheikh of Azhar and Ministers of Agriculture, Justice, Exterior, Education, Tourism, External Trade, Labour, Endowments, Youth, Environment, Electricity and Scientific Research. Greeting visitors also included the ex-head of the Senate and ex-ministers of Population, Production, Youth and environment. The Mayor of Cairo came also to greet as well as the Head of the Presidential Diwan, the Political Advisor of the President, Prof Dr Boutros-Boutros Ghali and many other responsible people. Pope Shenouda received many church leaders amongst were Cardinal Stephanos II Patriarch of the Coptic Catholics, Patriarch Boutros VII of the Greek Orthodox, Patriarch Gregorius Lahham of the Greek Catholics, Archbishop Mounir Hanna of the Anglican Church and Rev'd Safwat El-Bayady of the Evangelical Church in Egypt. HH also received heads of different Political Parties and Ambassadors and gave interviews to the Nile TV and BBC. In the evening of the feast day, Monday 7th January 2002, Pope Shenouda drove on to St Bishoy Monastery where he overnighted. The next day, he received there greeting church fathers amongst where the abbots of Wadi El-Natrun and St Samuel Monasteries, Bishops Tadros, Morcos, Ruweis, Abraam, Demetrius, Lucas, Jacobos, Joannes and Apollo. HH also received priests of Alexandria, Mokattam, monks and novices of Wadi El-Natrun and St Mina Monasteries. He gave them a spiritual word and returned in the evening to Cairo. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Miscellaneous News ------------------------------------------------------------------ On Monday 31st December 2001 morning, Pope Shenouda consecrated 6 monks for St Bishoy Monastery. The consecration offices were co-celebrated by six Bishops Serapamon, Matthaus, Isodorus, Athanasios, Apollo and Martyros and all the monks of St Bishoy. Then the Pope and bishops drove on to the adjacent Virgin Mary Syrian Monastery where they cooked the aromatic spices and anointed the tube containing the relics of St John Kame. Then the Pope visited the keep of the monastery and viewed the place after restoration including the altars awaiting consecration. He also visited his old cell where he used to live as monk before his Episcopal consecration. He explained the circumstances of his living there. Bishop Matthaus the Abbot of the monastery handed him the key of the cell. The Pope took it for some time then he returned it back to the abbot. Then the Pope passed on the gardens of Virgin Mary (Syrian) and St Bishoy Monasteries and viewed the agricultural development. Both on Monday 31 December 2001 and Tuesday 1st January 2002, Pope Shenouda paid a visit to Tamav Iriny the Mother Superior of St Mercurius (Abu-Seifen) Convent in Old Cairo at El-Hayah Hospital in Heliopolis. He was accompanied by Metropolitan Bishoy, Bishop Joannes, Heg Jeremiah Avva-Mina, Mr Charles Faltas and her brother Mr Ezzat. In this meeting also, Tamav Edrosis the Mother Superior of Prince Theodore of Shotep Convent and her sister Mother Joanna both paid a visit to Tamav Iriny. On Friday 4 January 2002, at 11:00 am in the morning, Pope Shenouda visited the ruins at the digging site of the Ancient Glass Monastery (Northern Coast close to Alexandria). HH was accompanied by Dr Gaballah the General Responsible of the HCA Higher Council of Antiquities as well as Bishop Demetrius, Heg Sherubim El-Pachomy (the Patriarchate's Prior in Alexandria), Monk Lucas Anba-Bishoy (delegated by the church to restore the monastery and approved by the HCA) and Engineer Ramzy Naguib from the Authority of Antiquities. The party was guided through the ruins of the monastery. In his way back to Cairo, Pope Shenouda visited St Mina Monastery. He was accompanied by Bishop Demetrius (Malawy) the supervisor of the Monastery and Heg Kyrollos Avva-Mina the prior of the Monastery. Pope Shenouda had a meeting with the monks and gave them a word about the monastic virtues and congratulated them for the New Year and Nativity Feast. Then he drove back to Cairo. On Saturday 26 January 2002, the Coptic Church in the UK holds a banquet to honour one of its sons the heart surgeon Dr Magdy Yacoub. Pope Shenouda shall fly to London to participate in the celebration. ------------------------------------------------------------------