Pope Tawadros II presided over a funeral service held on 19 March at Cairo’s St Mark Cathedral for three Coptic monks who were murdered in their Coptic Orthodox monastery of St Marcos and St Samuel the Confessor in Cullinan, northeast Pretoria, South Africa. The three monks are Fr Takla El-Samueli, Fr Yostos Ava Marcos, and Fr Mina Ava Marcos.
A large number of metropolitans and bishops, participated in the service while many other members of the clergy attended, in addition to senior State figures. The congregation filled the capacity of the huge cathedral.
Desire to be with Christ
Pope Tawadros started his word by relaying his condolences to Bishop Marcos Antonius of South Africa, and to the abbots and monks of the monasteries of St Mark and St Samuel in South Africa, also St Samuel the Confessor in Qalamoun, Egypt. He thanked all State officials and authorities who stood by the Church in the aftermath of the crime and in bringing home the bodies of the three monks; notably the ministers and ministries of foreign affairs, expatriate Egyptians, and health, also Cairo airport officials, and Egypt’s Ambassador to South Africa. He also expressed sincere appreciation of the effort of South African authorities.
The funeral service saw the reading of the Psalm verse: “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts forever!” Ps 65:4, followed by the Gospel reading of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 concluding with the verse “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23).
Pope Tawadros then spoke of the lives of monks, focusing on the verse “[I have a desire] to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better,” and its impact on the lives of monks. Persons who take monastic vows, the Pope said, are “dead” to all worldly desires; they only wish to be with Christ. So a monk “dies” as he takes orders, the ritual itself includes funeral prayers. Once he actually dies in the body, he has fulfilled his heart’s desire and is gone to Christ. But he is yet mourned by those who love him because they feel the loss.
Once the service was over, the bodies were taken to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Mount Qalamoun, some 200km southeast Cairo, where they were buried.
Prayers in Johannesburg
On Sunday 17 March, funeral prayers had been held at the Archdiocese of South Africa in Johannesburg for the three Coptic monks.
Pope Tawadros II delegated Bishop Boulos, General Bishop of African Affairs; Bishop Joseph, Bishop of Namibia and its Dependencies, and Father Elisha Rizk, Priest of the church of St Mark in Washington, to attend the funeral prayers.
Also attending was Cairo’s Ambassador to Pretoria Ahmed al-Fadali who gave a word in Arabic and in English mourning the deceased monks and offering warm condolences. Mr Fadali said that the crime was especially painful to him since it was committed at a house of God, against men who had devoted their lives to God. Incidentally, he said, the monks had been expected to join him that same day, the day they were murdered, in a Ramadan Iftar at the embassy in Pretoria.
Coptic monastery in South Africa
Pope Tawadros had alluded to the crime during his weekly prayer meeting with the congregation on Wednesday 13 March. He mourned the three monks, and explained that the Johannesburg monastery of St Marcos and St Samuel was the only Coptic monastery in South Africa; it was established in 2007 by Metropolitan Antonius Marcos, and recognised by the Coptic Church in 2013, following which monks were sent from Egypt to serve there.
“South Africa’s authorities are handling the investigation” the Pope said. “Once the facts are known and the police there issue their statement, we will issue an official statement informing of all the details.”
The Pope said that the bodies of the monks would be flown to Egypt because, traditionally, monks are buried in their monasteries.
The crime
On 12 March, the Coptic Church had issued a statement that read:
“‘But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses’ (2 Cor 6:4)
“Today, three monks were victims of some criminal attack in our Coptic monastery of Saint Mark the Apostle and Saint Samuel the Confessor in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“The attack resulted in the martyrdom of the three monks:
-The Monk Hegumen Takla El-Samueli (deputy of the diocese of South Africa)
-The Monk Yostos Ava Marcos
-The Monk Mina Ava Marcos
“The relevant authorities arrived at the monastery and began their investigation of the incident. The Egyptian ambassador also went to the monastery in Johannesburg to follow up on the situation.
“Pope Tawadros II is closely following all the details of this incident, waiting to be informed of its details and causes.
“The Church expresses its deep anguish over that tragic incident, extends its sincere condolences to the families of the three monks, and is confident that only our merciful and just God is able to grant comfort and reveal the truth.”
Suspect killer
A 35-year-old Copt who goes by the name of Saïd has been charged by Johannesburg investigation authorities with murdering the three monks.
Another Coptic monk from the same monastery, Samuel Ava Marcos, is being investigated for any suspected role as a possible accomplice in the crime.
The first court session was held on 15 March 2024, but the court adjourned to 22 March pending investigations.
South African sources said that no terrorist or armed organisations are behind the murder of the three Coptic monks. They said the crime was committed in the monastery by a young Copt, Saïd, who lives in South Africa. Mr Saïd had tried to join the monastery but was rejected because he did not meet any of the monastic law conditions required for taking orders, and because of his allegedly “non-disciplined behaviour”. He had been frequently spotted with the three monks before they were murdered. The police investigated the phone calls between Mr Saïd and the monks, as well as other circumstances pertaining to the crime, and charged him with murder. It is said by South Africa sources that Mr Saïd was behind rumours that the murders had taken place during some armed assault.
South Africa police are waiting to finalise investigations before issuing a statement of the outcome, citing the details of the crime.
Following up
Bishop Boulos, Coptic General Bishop of African Affairs, flew from his headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya to Johannesburg to follow up on developments in the case, and keep Pope Tawadros promptly updated. Bishop Boulos met Bishop Antonius Marcos, Metropolitan of South Africa; and members of the South African authorities involved in the investigation of the crime. He attended the first court session and was updated on the legal investigations and the questioning of the monk Samuel Ava Marcos.
Pope Tawadros thanked the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for constantly following up on all the details, and Egyptian Ambassador to South Africa Ahmed al-Fadali who hastened to the monastery once news of the murder was out, and offered sincere condolences to the Church.
Watani International
20 March 2024