Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III dies

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III dies

2012-03-18 20:17:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO, Egypt (BNO NEWS) -- Pope Shenouda III, the head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, died in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on late Saturday afternoon after a long history of health problems, church officials said. He was 88.

The church said Shenouda, who led Egypt's Christian minority for more than 40 years, died at around 5:15 p.m. local time on Saturday as a result of both health complications and old age. He had been suffering from liver, lung and colon problems for years and repeatedly traveled to the United States for medical treatment.

The body of Shenouda will lie in repose for two days in the Abbassiya Cathedral in Cairo until his funeral on Tuesday, which will take place at St. Bishoy monastery in Wadi Natrun in the Nile Delta region. Photos from the Cathedral on Sunday showed scores of mourners paying their last respects to the Pope, whose body is dressed in formal robes.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Catholic Church shares in the grief of Egyptian Christians. "Pope Benedict XVI was informed of the news and he is united spiritually with prayers of suffrage," Father Lombardi said. "We will never forget the meeting of Pope Shenouda in Cairo with Pope John Paul II during his pilgrimage to Mount Sinai during the Great Jubilee. The occasion marked a high moment in dialogue and fellowship witnessing to our common faith in Christ."

Shenouda, born in August 1923, led Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church for more than 40 years and was praised by both Christians and Muslims for his efforts to contain sectarian tensions amidst incidents such as the burning of churches. But the religious leader was also criticized for using the church for political purposes and his handling of the uprising in Egypt last year.

In February 1981, Shenouda was among more than 1,500 people who were placed under house arrest by then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The move was highly controversial, and Sadat was enraged after the Pope suggested that Egyptian Christians were subject to discriminatory treatment by authorities.

Sadat was assassinated later that year, and his successor Hosni Mubarak released Shenouda from house arrest in 1982 before restoring his full authority in 1985. This resulted in a friendly relationship between Mubarak and Shenouda, but the Pope later praised the successful ouster of Mubarak in February 2011. He had earlier called on protesters to end their rallies.

Shenouda was also criticized last year after 26 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured when security forces opened fire at Egyptian Christians who were marching in Cairo against religious persecution. The protest followed an attack on a Coptic church days earlier in the southern Egyptian province of Aswan, but some said Shenouda failed to condemn Egypt's ruling military council over the deaths.

There are around 8 million Christian Copts in Egypt who represent about 10 percent of the population.

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