Tawadros II: Egypt's new Coptic Orthodox pope

Acting Coptic Pope Pachomios, displays the name of
 the new Pope Tawadros II, depicted in the large
 poster, center, during the papal election ceremony
 at the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt
Photo: courtesy of egyptindependent.com

Pope Tawadros II – or Wagih Sobhi Baki Soliman – was born on 4 November, 1952 in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura northeast of Cairo. His father was a landscaping engineer.

The family – his two parents and two sisters – soon moved to the Upper Egyptian city of Sohag, where they stayed until Tawadros completed the third grade. Afterwards, they moved to Damanhur, capital of the Delta's Beheira governorate.

In Damanhur, he entered a Coptic school, where his religious education began in earnest. Here he was directed largely by the school's headmistress, who also happened to be the sister of reigning Coptic pope, Cyril VI.

In 1975, Tawadros graduated from Alexandria University's pharmacy faculty before finding work as a manager at a pharmaceutical factory in Damanhur.

In 1983, he graduated from the Coptic Church's Clerical College.

Tawadros hails from a religious family: three of his uncles and a cousin were members of the Coptic priesthood. As a child, he spent his summer holidays at the Monastery of St Demiana in Belqas, located in Egypt's Daqahliya governorate, from which his mother's family hailed.

He took to monastic life, and in 1986 went to the St Bishoy Monastery in Wadi El-Natrun where he asked to become a monk.

After completing a two year novitiate, Tawadros was formally ordained a monk in 1988 with the name 'Theodoros.' Two years later, he was formally ordained a Coptic Orthodox priest.

In June 1997, he was ordained general bishop of Beheira and auxiliary to Archbishop Pachomios (who served as acting pope from Shenouda III's death until Tawadros' election).

This did not, however, stop him from pursuing his formal education. In 1999, he obtained a joint degree in pharmaceutical engineering, business administration and Christian education from a university in Singapore.

The author of 12 books on Christian theology, Tawadros also played a major role organising the Coptic Church's annual festival of Saint Mark, observed by Coptic Christians throughout the world.

Tawadros is an ancient Coptic name, similar to the Greek name 'Theadhuros.' Popular in Upper Egypt, the name – which literally means 'Gift of God' – is often spelt 'Tadros.'

In the run-up to the just-concluded papal election, Tawadros hailed last year's Tahrir Square uprising, which culminated in the ouster of longstanding president Hosni Mubarak.

"Tahrir Square brought Egyptians together for the realisation of a sacred objective, which changed Egypt for the better," he said.

"In the wake of the revolution, we must listen to the young generation's point of view and hold mature discussions with them," he added.

Tawadros stresses the need to guarantee peaceful co-existence between Egypt's Christian and Muslim communities, noting the two faith's common history and roots.

"We must concentrate on what will bring Egypt's children together – not on what will drive them apart," he said.

courtesy: Ahram Online

Bishop Tawadros chosen as Egypt's 118th Pope of Alexandria

Bishop Tawadros. Photo courtesy of kopten.at

Bishop Tawadros has been selected in Sunday's altar lottery to succeed Pope Shenouda III as patriarch of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church

Cairo, Sunday 4 Nov 2012: Bishop Tawadros has become Egypt’s 118th Coptic Pope after his name was picked from a box by a blindfolded child during Sunday's altar lottery at St Mark's Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo.

The new Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa in the Holy See of St Mark the Apostle succeeds Pope Shenouda III who passed away last March. Pope Shenouda led the church for forty years and was chosen in a similar lottery in 1971.

Bishop Tawadros, auxiliary bishop for Beheira and auxiliary to ِArchbishop Pachomios (who is currently serving as acting Pope). A member of the Holy Synod, Tawadros was born in 1952 and studied pharmaceutical sciences at Alexandria University. He was ordained bishop in 1997.

The newly chosen pope was supported by members of the Coptic Laity Council for "his wisdom, firmness and ability to maintain good rapport everyone in his province; both Christians and Muslims alike."

Bishop Rafael, Bishop of Central Cairo and Heliopolis, who is one of the three leading candidates for the papal seat, also nominated Tawadros for the position because he is widely respected in the Coptic community.

Following an 8am mass on Sunday, acting pope Bishop Pachomios led altar boy Bishoy Gerges Mossad, to the altar, where the young blindfolded boy chose the name of the new pope. The three finalists who entered Sunday’s lottery were: Bishop Rafael, Father Rafael Ava Mina and Bishop Tawadros.

The road to choosing a new pope began immediately after Pope Shenouda’s death, when 76-year-old Pachomios' was appointed as interim pope. The Church then formed a committee mandated with drawing up a shortlist of nominees to become Shenouda's successor.

Another committee was also tasked with choosing electors – those members of the Coptic community who would have the right to cast ballots in the papal electoral process.

A total of 2,406 electors were chosen, drawn from among Coptic archbishops, bishops, lay council members and agents of the archdioceses, as well as prominent Coptic laymen including Coptic newspaper editors-in-chief and members of the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate.

On Monday, 29 October the five candidates entered the penultimate stage of the papal election, when the electors chose three finalists. Bishop Rafael garnered 1980 votes, the highest among all the candidates, taking 32.36 per cent of total votes.

Bishop Tawadros, the General Bishop of El-Beheira, in Egypt's Delta region received 1623 votes, taking 26.53 per cent of total votes. Father Raphael received 1530 votes, totalling 25 per cent of the votes.

Bishop Pachomios had kicked off the final ceremony early Sunday, by reading the names of each candidate out loud to the congregation. The names were written in bold on large rectangle shaped papers. Each paper was then tied and placed in a black box, which was sealed with red wax.

The new pope is faced with the task of leading Egypt’s Coptic community in a politically uncertain climate, following the last year's popular uprising. Islamists and Salafists continue to push their religious agendas, following the election of a Muslim Brother as Egypt's president and the ongoing constitution-drafting process.

Challenges also lie within the Church. Bishop Rafael, for his part, said the new pope must devote himself to reorganising the church from within; set specific rules for the promotion of monks and priests; make an effort to draw alienated Coptic youth back to the church; and reinvigorate church services by preparing servants from the laity capable of keeping abreast with technological innovations.

The new pope will also have to tackle critical issues including obtaining state approval to amend the church's 1938 bylaws – which lay down the rules governing Coptic divorce and remarriage – and the controversial 1957 bylaws regulating papal elections.

Bishop Tawadros will be officially enthroned as Egypt's 118th pope on the 18th of November.

courtesy: Ahram Online

Egypt's president to attend Coptic Pope enthronement: Bishop Pachomios

New head of Coptic Church will be inaugurated on 18 November, President Mohamed Morsi promises to attend 'time permitting', confirms interim Pope

Bishop Pachomios, interim Pope (Photo courtesy: Al-Ahram)

Cairo, Wednesday 31 Oct 2012: The enthronement of the Egypt's new Coptic pope will be held on 18 November, Bishop Pachomios, the acting patriarch, told Al-Ahram Arabic news website, Monday night.

A verbal invitation to attend the inauguration was sent to President Mohamed Morsi, Bishop Pachomios confirmed.

"[Morsi has] shown interest in what is taking place within the Church and promised that time permitting, he would attend the inaugural ceremony or visit later."

The interim pope further expressed his contentment with the papal elections that took place on 29 October, thanking God for listening to the prayers of the Copts.

"The altar lottery will be held on 4 November, after the Holy Mass," he said.

The 'altar lottery' is the final stage of the selection process. A blindfolded child will randomly select the name of the church's next pope from a clear box containing the names of the three papal candidates on three slips of paper.

The final three nominees, as elected by over 2000 chosen Coptic electors on Monday, are Bishop Raphael, Father Raphael Ava Mina, and Bishop Tawadros.

courtesy: Ahram Online

Bishop gives details about final stage of Coptic Church's papal elections

Coptic Church spokesman Bishop Paula. Photo courtesy of Ahram

Coptic Orthodox Bishop Paul describes upcoming 'alter lottery,' slated for Sunday, by which Egypt's next Coptic pope will be chosen

Cairo,Thursday 1 Nov 2012: At a Thursday press conference, Coptic Orthodox Bishop Paul provided details about the final stage of the Coptic Orthodox Church's papal elections, which will involve what is known as the 'alter lottery.'

One of three Coptic clergymen who on Monday were voted into the final round will be chosen by the lottery, which is slated for Sunday, 4 November.

Bishop Paul, who is supervising the electoral process, explained that the alter lottery would begin with the entry of the church's archbishops and bishops – headed by interim pope Archbishop Pachomios – into Cairo's Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Abbasiya.

Archbishop Pachomios will then place three ballots bearing the names of the three candidates inside a transparent box, which will then be sealed with wax and set at the cathedral's altar, Bishop Paul explained.

A television camera will remain focused on the box throughout the process to ensure transparency, he added.

One of 12 Coptic deacons between five and eight years of age will then be chosen at random. After being blindfolded, Bishop Paul said, the selected deacon will then choose one of the three ballots, thus determining the church's next patriarch.

Father Angelos Ishak Masoud, secretary to the interim pope, told Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website that the alter lottery represented the preferred method of determining "God's choice" for the papal position.

He went on to note that the word "lottery" in Greek meant "a divine judgment independent of human influence."

The lottery, however, is not without controversy, with some critics within the church saying the practice has no spiritual or legal basis. They point out that the method has been used to select a papal successor only ten times since first having been introduced by the church in the eighth century.

The three final candidates are: Bishop Raphael, auxiliary bishop of central Cairo and Heliopolis and former aide to the late Pope Shenouda III; Bishop Tawadros, auxiliary bishop for Beheira and auxiliary to Archbishop Pachomios; and Father Raphael Ava Mina, a monk at Alexandria's Mar Mina Monastery.

courtesy: Ahram Online

Final Three Papal Candidates Announced for Altar Lot

Cairo, October 29, 2012: After a very well organized and orderly day where events unfolded as expected, a total of 2256 out of 2417 (93,3%) eligible voters came to cast their vote. The final results were announced by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomious:

- H.G. Bishop Roufail 1980 votes

- H.G. Bishop Tawadros 1623 votes

- Fr. Roufail Ava Mina 1530 votes

- Fr. Serafim Al-Souriany 680 votes

- Fr. Bakhomious Al-Souriany 305 votes

Based on these numbers the three candidates from whom the next pope will be chosen are:

- H.G. Bishop Roufail

- H.G. Bishop Tawadros

- Fr. Roufail Ava Mina

The altar ballot will take place on November 4th after a three-day global fast from October 31-November 2. At the conclusion of a liturgy prayed by Metropolitan Pakhomious, a blindfolded child will pick the name of the next Pope from amongst these three candidates.

We pray that the Lord may manifest His Will to us.

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles

Profile of Candidates

H.G. Bishop Roufail

1. Bishop Raphael: Auxiliary bishop of central Cairo and Heliopolis, a former aide to the late Pope Shenouda III, and a member of the Coptic Church's Holy Synod. Born in Cairo in 1954 and a graduate of Ain Shams University's medical faculty, Raphael was ordained bishop in June 1997.

Age: 54, Born in Cairo, Egypt, 1958

Education: M.D., Ayn Shams University, Pope Shenouda III Seminary Graduate.

Ordination: A monk at Paramous monastery in 1990 under the name of Fr. Yostos,

Ordained a General Bishop in 1997.

Profession: Medical Doctor

Prior Name: Michael Aryan Halim

2. Father Raphael Ava Mina: A monk at Alexandria's St. Mina Monastery (Mar Mina). Born in Cairo in 1942, Father Raphael has a law degree from Ain Shams University.

Fr. Roufail Ava Mina

Age: 70, Born in Cairo, Egypt – 1942

Education: Law Degree, Ayn Shams University

Ordination: Ordained a monk in 1969, 43 years.

Profession: Chosen as a personal deacon for HH Pope Cyril VI after graduation

Prior Name: Raphael Sobhy Tawfik

3. Bishop Tawadros: Auxiliary bishop for Beheira, and auxiliary to ِArchbishop Pachomios (who is currently serving as acting Pope). A member of the Holy Synod, Tawadros was born in 1952 and studied pharmaceutical sciences at Alexandria University. He was ordained bishop in 1997.

H.G. Bishop Tawadros

Age: 60, Born in Mansor, Egypt – 1952

Education: Pharmacy Degree, Alexandria University, Seminary School Degree

Fellowship with International Health Institute, England.

Ordination: Ordained a monk in St. Pishoy Monastery 1988, and a General Bishop 1997

Profession: General Manager, Governmental Pharmaceutical manufacture, Damanhour

Prior Name: Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman

Two monks failed to make the final round:

1. Father Seraphim El-Syrian: A monk at Wadi Natroun's Virgin Mary Monastery. Born in 1959 in Cairo, He has a science degree from Ain Shams University. Father Seraphim El-Syrian lives in USA.

2. Father Pachomios El-Syrian: A monk at the Virgin Mary Monastery in Wadi Natroun. Born in Aswan in 1963, Pachomios holds a joint degree in science and education. He lives in Italy.

Ethiopian delegation votes for Egypt's new Coptic Orthodox pope

Delegation of five Ethiopian priests cast ballots on Monday in Coptic Orthodox Church's ongoing papal elections

The Ehiopian delegation casts their votes
-Photo Ayman Hafez- Ahram Online

Cairo, Monday 29 Oct 2012: A delegation of five priests from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church cast their votes for a new Coptic Orthodox Pope on Monday noon.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is allowed to dispatch five representatives to vote in the Coptic papal election, in line with 1957 Coptic Church bylaws stating that the Ethiopian Church – which formally separated from Egypt's Coptic Church in 1959 – should have a say in the selection of the Coptic patriarch.
"The Ethiopian Church has a right to participate in the election of the pope in Egypt, just like the Egyptian Church has a right to participate in the election of the Ethiopian pope," said Coptic Church spokesman Bishop Paula.

On Monday, some 2,400 Coptic electors chose three finalists from among five nominees. The winner, who will become Egypt's 118th Pope, will replace Pope Shenouda III, who passed away last March after serving as Coptic patriarch for 40 years.
The papal elections, which began early Monday and will end at 5pm the same day, are being conducted at Cairo's Coptic Cathedral in Abbassiya.


Ahram Online.

Final papal candidates announced in Cairo

The three papal finalists, from left: Bishop
Tawadros, Father Raphael Ava Mina and Bishop
Raphael (Photo: courtesy of Cairo Downtown
Churches facebook page)

Cairo,29 October, 2012: Throughout the day the Coptic electors have been casting their votes for the five candidates for the papal throne and this evening it was announced that the three who have emerged as the front runners are Bishop Raphael (1980 votes), Bishop Tawadros (1623 votes) and Father Raphael Ava Mina (1530 votes). These will be the three names which will be placed on the altar at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbeseya and from which the next Pope & Patriarch will be chosen by the Sacred Lot on Sunday, 4 November.

Of some 2412 eligible voters, 2177 voted, a turn-out of some 90%. Members of the Holy Synod who were eligible to vote but chose not to, were Metropolitan Mikhail of Assuit, Bishop Serapion of Los Angeles, Bishop Paphnutius of Samalout and Bishop Boula of Africa. Three other bishops, who, as they are not Egyptian citizens, were not eligible to vote: Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury, Bishop Athanasius of France and Bishop Elia of Khartoum.
Among those voting were five Archbishops  delegated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewehedo Church, which included Archbishop Antonios, who normally resides in London. Under the terms of the Protocol with the Eritrean Orthodox Church there are two official observers who are His Grace Bishop Makarios (New Jersey) and Father Teklemariam of Frankfurt, who is the episcopal administrator of the European diocese, who are both loyal to the imprisoned Patriarch, Abune Antonios. The Coptic Orthodox Church declined to accept any representatives from the government controlled Synod in Asmara.

britishorthodox.org