On Sunday 17 March funeral prayers were held at the Archdiocese of South Africa in Johannesburg for the three Coptic monks who were murdered in their Coptic Orthodox monastery of St Marcos and St Samuel the Confessor in Cullnan, northeast of Pretoria, South Africa. The three monks are Fr Takla El-Samueli, Fr Yostos Ava Marcos, and Fr Mina Ava Marcos.
Pope Tawadros II delegated Bishop Boulos, General Bishop of African Affairs; Bishop Joseph, Bishop of Namibia and its Dependencies, an 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 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 for him since it was committed at a house of God and since, incidentally, the monks had been expected to join him that same day, the day they were murdered, in Iftar Ramadan.
A statement from the Coptic Church informed that the bodies of the three monks will be returned to Egypt, once travel procedures are completed. In Egypt, prayers will be held for them at the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Mount Qalamoun, some 200km southeast Cairo, where they will be buried.
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 had been established in 2007 by Metropolitan Antonio’s Marcos, and was 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 will be flown to Egypt because, traditionally, monks are buried in their monasteries.
The Coptic Church had on 12 March 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 in Johannesburg also went to the monastery to follow up 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 the 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.
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 have 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 the outcome, detailing the suspected details of the crime.
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. Anba Boulos met Anba 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, He has also checked the situation pertaining to the bodies of the three monks who were killed.
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-Fadaly who hastened to the monastery once news of the murder was out, and offered sincere condolences to the Church.
Watani International
18 March 2024