News from the Mother Church

Consecration of Holy Myron

Between 17-21 April at St. Bishoy’s Monastery in the Wadi El-Natrun, His Holiness Pope Shenouda (assisted by many Metropolitans and Bishops, including Patriarch Antinious I of Eritrea ) presided over the ceremony of the consecration of the Holy Myron for an unprecedented sixth time during his papacy. (Previous occasions were 1981, 1987, 1993, 1995 and 2004, the latter being in Asmara for the Eritrean Orthodox Church). According to church historians this was only the thirty-third time that the Holy Myron has been consecrated in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The new Myron was then used to consecrate the three altars of the new Cathedral at St. Bishoy’s monastery.

Pope undergoes surgery

His Holiness Pope Shenouda travelled to New York at the beginning of May, where he underwent surgery for a cataract on his right eye and also on his right hand for trigger finger. After a brief period of rest His Holiness resumed his usual heavy schedule, even travelling to Amman in Jordan to chair the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches.

Meeting of the Holy Synod

The Holy Synod met in Cairo on the Eve of Pentecost, 18 June 2005 . Among its decisions was to accept the resignation of Bishop Mettias El Suriani, Bishop of Al Mahalla Al Kobra since 1989. This followed increasing concern about the bishop’s adherence to the Orthodox faith and traditions as well as the maladministration of his diocese. There were no ordinations of priests or bishops at the Pentecost Feast.