The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church this morning convened at the papal headquarters at St Mark##s cathedral in Abassiya, Cairo to discuss the criteria of eligibility for candidacy for the new pope, following the death of Pope Shenouda III on 17 March. The acting patriarch Anba Pachomeus presided over the meeting
The
Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church this morning convened at the papal
headquarters at St Mark##s cathedral in Abassiya,
for candidacy for the new pope, following the death of Pope Shenouda III on 17
March. The acting patriarch Anba Pachomeus presided over the meeting, which the
members of the Melli (Community) Council and the Coptic Endowments Authority
attended as observers.
The
Holy Synod had last week announced that the new pope should be elected
according to the 1957 Election Code for the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch, but had
declared that the door was open for the discussion of various interpretations
of specific clauses of the code. These clauses pertain to the eligibility of
voters, the right of the Ethiopian patriarch and a number of Ethiopian clergy
to vote—this clause had been put in at a time when the Ethiopian Church was
affiliated to the Coptic Church—and the right of the bishops of dioceses to be
nominated for the papacy.
Several
proposals were submitted to the Holy Synod, and will be referred for
discussion.
An
18-person committee headed by the acting patriarch Anba Pachomeus will be
formed to handle the elections; half the members will be from the Holy Synod
and the other half from the Melli Council and the Coptic Endowments Authority.
Several
names were proposed for nomination for the new pope. Among them were Bishop of
Milano Anba Kyrillos, Bishop of Samalout Anba Pavnotius, Archbishop of Dumyat
Anba Bishoi, Bishop-General of Cairo Downtown churches Anba Rafail, as well as
the bishops-general Anba Yu##annis and Anba Ermiya. Actual nominations, however,
will have to wait till a decision is taken as to the eligibility of the bishops
of dioceses for nomination.
Watani
International
27
March 2012