Yesterday, Pope Tawadros II was tonsured with the holy schema, a leather cord with crosses woven into it, worn by a monk once he is deemed worthy of the highest rank of
monasticism, and has to be tonsured by an older monk who already wears it, in a special ceremony.
In case of Pope Tawadros II, the ceremony was conducted at the Western Desert monastery of Anba Bishoi where he originally took orders some 24 years ago under the name Theodore. Presiding over the ceremony were Anba Sarapamoun, the abbot of Anba Bishoi’s; Anba Matta’us of al-Surian monastery; Anba Isidoros of Baramous monastery; Anba Basilius of Anba Samuel the Confessor monastery; and Anba Kyrillos of Mar-Mina monastery.
Pope Tawadros II was schema-tonsured before his enthronement in order for him to have the authority to tonsure schema monks once he is patriarch.
Watani International
11 November 2012