The Committee for Monastic and Monastery Affairs (CMMA), affiliated to the Coptic Orthodox Church’s Holy Synod, and headed by Pope Tawadros II in his capacity as supreme head of the Coptic monastic movement, issued a statement yesterday 16 August 2018, which read:
“The CMMA calls upon all [monastic] sites that have not been recognised by the Church as monasteries, to correct their status by peacefully and calmly submitting to spiritual, monastic, administrative, and financial supervision by the patriarchate.” That way, the statement explained, these monastic establishments may be managed spiritually and monastically in the right manner, according to the rigorous laws of monasticism, that would lead them to become thriving Coptic Orthodox monasteries.
They would then qualify for recognition.
“Following are the steps needed to correct the status of these monastic sites:
Official registration of the land [on which the monastic establishment stands] as the property of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.
Submission to the person delegated by His Holiness Pope Tawadros to supervise the unrecognised establishment on the spiritual, administrative, and financial levels.
Abiding by the conditions cited in the bylaws of turning new monasteries into thriving ones.
Whoever does not accept this call declares rebellion against the Church; and would be harbouring devious intentions far removed from monasticism. He would have cut himself off monasticism and priesthood.
The above steps must be executed within the period of one month.”
The statement concluded with: “Blessed is he who obeys.”
Watani International
17 August 2018