During Pope Tawadros’s visit to Budapest, the Pope was keen to meet the Coptic congregation there, and care for European Coptic pastoral issues.
On Monday 21 August, the Pope met Bishop Barnaba of Turin and Rome, who submitted to him a report on the Diocese of Southern Germany and the Monastery of Saint Anthony in Krefelbach. Bishop Mishael (1942 – 2023) who passed away earlier this month, had been Bishop of Southern Germany and Abbot of St Anthony Monastery. Upon his departure, Pope Tawadros assigned Bishop Barnaba and Bishop Arseny of The Netherlands, to supervise the diocese and monastery.
On the evening of Monday 21 August, the eve of the Feast of Assumption of the Holy Virgin, Pope Tawadros presided over Vespers incense service at the church of the Holy Virgin and Archangel Mikhail in Budapest.
The Pope was received by Bishop Giovanni, Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Central Europe, and the church’s priest Fr Khalil.
A large congregation filled the church. The choir performed Coptic hymns and praise, earning warm praise from the Pope who took souvenir photos with them.
Pope Tawadros gave a word in which he extolled the Holy Virgin’s virtue of “containment”. He cited her role in the miracle of turning the water to wine as an example, saying she only had to hand the problem to her son, saying: “They have no wine,” (John 2:3). He stressed that problems should be dealt with by prayer and hope. He also said that one has, in dealing with others, one has to sympathise with the other’s feelings, persevere in love and move away from disputes, allocate time for understanding the other because the most precious thing one can offer is time, and practise humbleness and submission.
The Pope then expressed his warmest wishes to the congregation for a blessed Feast of the Holy Virgin, and shook hands with everyone present.
Watani International
23 August 202: