The seating ceremony of two new bishops in the Coptic Orthodox Church was concluded during Vespers last evening, Saturday 18 November, and Holy Mass today, Sunday 19 November 2017.
In London, Bishop Angaelos was seated Bishop of the new Diocese of London. Presiding over the ceremony was Anba Pakhomius, Metropolitan of Beheira; Anba Serapion, Metropolitan of Los Angeles; and Anba Raphael, General Bishop and Secretary-General of the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod. Attending were Egypt’s ambassador to the UK Nasser Kamel, a number of UK officials, and heads of various Churches in the UK. A message from Queen Elizabeth was read, as well as one from PM Theresa May.
In the Upper Egypt region of Assiut some 350km south of Cairo, Anba Bigoul was seated Bishop and Abbot of Deir al-Muharraq, the Monastery of the Holy Virgin known as Muharraq Monastery.
Participating in the ceremony at the ancient monastery church were five bishops who had taken orders at Muharraq before they were consecrated bishops: Bishop Kyrillos of Naj Hammadi; Bishop Pimen of Nagada and Qous; Bishop Ghabrial of Beni Sweif; Bishop Stephanos of Biba and al-Fashn; and Bishop-General of Mehalla al-Kubra, Anba Karass. The entire monk community was there, as well as members of the public.
Assiut Governor Yasser al-Desouqi attended; with him were a number of local State and security officials.
The two bishops, together with three others, had been consecrated last week by Pope Tawadros II at the Western Desert monastery of Anba Bishoi.
“Anba Angaelos,” the Pope said, “has behind him years of diligent ministry, and higher studies in various fields. He was consecrated General Bishop in 1999, is member of the World Council of Churches, President of the Bible Society, and has participated in countless conferences and dialogues.
“Fr Bigoul al-Muharraqi [today, Anba Bigoul] graduated for Assiut University with a degree in Commerce, and took orders in 2000. The late abbot, Anba Sawiris, chose him to be deputy dean of the seminary in Assiut, where he has also engaged in research on the foundation of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles.”
Watani International
19 November 2017