To bid farewell to 2023, and welcome the new year 2024, Pope Tawadros II last evening prayed at St Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, to a church packed full of worshippers.
It has been a tradition held by the Pope since he assumed the papacy in 2012 to spend New Year Eve in Alexandria, the first papal seat of Coptic patriarchs before that seat moved to Cairo in the 11th century. Even so Alexandria, which lends its name to the Church of Egypt, still shares with Cairo the honour and prestige of being a papal seat.
New Year Eve service began at Alexandria’s St Mark’s with Midnight Prayer of the Coptic Prayers of the Hours. This was followed by the famous Kiyahk praises which are sung in honour of the Incarnation and the Holy Virgin during the month of Kiahk that precedes the Feast of the Nativity, Coptic Christmas; Copts celebrate Christmas on 29 Kiahk, 7 January.
Alexandria bishops general Anba Pavly, Anba Ilarion, and Anba Hermina gave spiritual talks and contemplations during the service.
Pope Tawadros extended his best wishes for a peaceful, happy new year to the congregation. Seeing that the upcoming year was 2024, he gave a word that focused on a verse from the 24th chapter of the 24th book in the Bible, the Book of Jeremiah. The verse reads: “I will set mine eyes upon them for good” (Jeremiah 24:6).
Pope Tawadros pointed to three meanings included in this verse: God sets His eyes upon us to give us reassurance and protection, and to stress that all is for the good of His children.
Regarding ‘reassurance’, the Pope said that “we should remember that, even as negative news and events have surrounded us, we see that God is the One who provides for us.” ‘Protection’ means that God’s eyes are upon us to guard and protect us, but we should remain close to God in order to feel and enjoy His care.
“As to ‘All for the good’; it reminds us that God does all things good, so we constantly pray, ‘Let us thank the Creator of good deeds’.”
The Pope then pointed out that the New Year 2024 includes the digits 2 and 4; ‘2’ refers to love, which requires two to exist, one loving the other. Digit ‘4’ refers to inclusion because it represents the four cardinal directions, and it symbolises the presence of God. “Let us fill our lives during the year 2024 with love and the presence of God,” the Pope said.
Right before midnight, Pope Tawadros was joined by the other clergy present in saying a special prayer for world peace and calm everywhere.
At midnight, the church’s lights were put off and, in a candlelight vigil, the congregation enjoyed a two-minute span of private, silent prayer.
St Mark’s bells then chimed to herald in 2024 with the Pope presiding over the first Mass of that year.
Watani International
1 January 2024