→ Arabic language: قداسة البابا شنوده الثالث, Coptic language: Papa Abba Senou] or Papa Abba Senou] =g or Papa Senouda =g , Amharic language: ብጹዕ ወቅዱስ አቡነ ሺኖዳ ፫ኛ, Syrian language: ܦܐܦܐ ܫܢܘܕܐ ܬܠܝܬܝܐ, Hebew language: האפיפיור שנודה השלישי, Greek language: Πάπα Σενούντα Γ΄. 1} A Brief Biography of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III St-Takla.org Image: The Great Pope Shenouda the third, Pope of Alexandria and the See of Saint Mark (1971-2012)صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: قدس البابا شنوده الثالث بابا الإسكندرية وبطريرك الكرازة المرقسية (ر. 1971-2012) صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: قدس البابا شنوده الثالث بابا الإسكندرية وبطريرك الكرازة المرقسية (ر. 1971-2012) From his youth, His Holiness enjoyed writing very much, especially poems; he is a remarkably literate man as evidenced by the over 100 books that have been written by him. For many years, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday School Magazine. At the same time, he followed his post-graduate studies at the Seminary of Archeology. On July 18, 1954, Mr. Gayed was led to the monastic life at "El-Suryan" Monastery in the western desert of Egypt; he was given the name of Father Antonyos El-Suryaani. For six years, from 1956 to 1962, he lived a life of solitude in a cave about seven miles away from the monastery, dedicating all his time to meditation, prayer, and asceticism. In 1962, he was ordained by the late Pope Cyril VI as Bishop of Ecclesiastical (Religious) Education and was named President of the Coptic Theological Seminary; he was given the name of Bishop Shenouda on September 30, 1962. Continuing from his literary past, Bishop Shenouda published the first issue of "El-Keraza" magazine in Arabic in 1965, and remains the Editor-in-Chief to this day. On November 14, 1971, His Holiness was enthroned as Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of Alexandria, and successor of the see of St. Mark. St-Takla.org Image: Pope Shenouda III giving gifts and trophy cups during el Keraza Festival, Wednesday November 29th, 2006 - and showing H. G, Bishop Musa, Coptic Bishop of Youth. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: مهرجان الكرازة - حفل توزيع الكؤوس بيد قداسة البابا شنوده الثالث - الأربعاء 29 نوفمبر 2006 م. - ويظهر نيافة أنبا موسى أسقف الشباب. His Holiness Pope Shenouda is well known for his deep commitment to Christian unity. In an address he gave at an ecumenical forum during the International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity held at Saint Mark's cathedral in Cairo in 1974, His Holiness declared that: "The whole Christian world is anxious to see the Church unite. Christian people, being fed up with Pix/Dividers/divisions and dispersion, are pushing their Church leaders to do something about Church unity and I am sure that the Holy Spirit is inspiring us." He has emphasized that Christian unity must be founded upon a unity of Faith and not upon a unity of jurisdiction. Before his enthronement, Bishop Shenouda attended the first unofficial ecumenical consultation between theologians of the Oriental Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, in Vienna in September 1971. The agreed statement included the words: "We believe that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is God the Son incarnate; perfect in His Pix/Dividers/divinity and perfect in His humanity. His Pix/Dividers/divinity was not separated from His humanity for a single moment, not for the twinkling of an eye. His humanity is one with His Pix/Dividers/divinity without commixture, without confusion, without Pix/Dividers/division, without separation. We in our common faith in the one Lord Jesus Christ regard His mystery inexhaustible and ineffable and for the human mind never fully comprehensible or expressible." (From the Communique of the first nonofficial ecumenical consultation between theologians of the Oriental Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, in 1971). In May 1973, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III paid a cordial visit to His Holiness, the late Pope Paul VI in Rome. This was the first meeting between an Alexandrine and Roman Pontiff since the time of the great schism of 451 AD. Both Popes signed a common Declaration, containing, amongst other things, a confession of common Faith in the mystery of the Word Incarnate. In welcoming His Holiness to Rome, the late Pope Paul VI said, "You are indeed the head of a church whose origin goes back to the Evangelist Mark and which had in Saint Athanasius...the invincible defender of our common Nicene faith, that is, faith in the Pix/Dividers/divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ." In response, His Holiness Pope Shenouda said, "We have to declare that between us there are many points of agreement in the principles of faith. As for points of difference, there is no doubt that after fifteen centuries of study, examination, and controversy, we are at much nearer grounds of agreement than our ancestors of the fifth and sixth centuries. We are all more ready and more intense in our desire to reach solutions for differences and attain simpler expressions of our common faith." Following this historic encounter, a joint Commission was established to explore the road to full intercommunion between the two Apostolic Churches. In June 1989, His Holiness opened the conference of the International Commission for Inter-Orthodox theological Dialogue. A part of the agreed statement said: "When we speak of the one composite (synthetos) hypostasis of our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not say that in Him a Pix/Dividers/divine hypostasis and a human hypostasis came together. It is that the one eternal hypostasis of the Second Person of the Trinity has assumed our created human nature in that act of uniting it with His own uncreated Pix/Dividers/divine nature, to form an inseparably and unconfusedly united real Pix/Dividers/divine-human being, the natures being distinguished from each other contemplation (theoria) only....We agree in condemning the Nestorian and the Eutychian heresies. We neither separate nor Pix/Dividers/divide the human nature in Christ from His Pix/Dividers/divine nature, nor do we think that the former was absorbed in the latter and thus ceased to exist" (First Agreed Statement with the Byzantine Family of Orthodoxy in 1989). Until now, His Holiness initiates and closely monitors theological dialogue with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Swedish Lutheran, and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. His Holiness is presently one of the Presidents of the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches. When His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was enthroned, there were only seven Coptic churches outside of Egypt: two each in Canada, the United States of America, Australia, and one in England. Due mainly to the efforts and encouragement of His Holiness, today there are more than 150 churches outside of Egypt, of which 63 are in the United States. There are two theological seminaries in the U.S., and a monastery in California. In addition, His Holiness was the first Pope to ordain Bishops for the Dioceses of North America. Bishop Karas was ordained for the Monastery of St. Antony's in California, Bishop Serapion for the Diocese in Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii, and Bishop Youssef for the Southern United States. There are 14 churches in Canada, and the city of Toronto houses a large Coptic Cultural Center. In Australia there are 24 churches, a theological college, two secondary schools, a primary school, two monasteries and a nursing home. There are six churches in Great Britain, including a large Coptic Center in Birmingham. There are churches in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. There are nine churches in Germany and a monastery in Frankfurt. There are six churches in France, four in Austria, four churches and a monastery in Italy, two in Holland, two in Switzerland, and one church each in Belgium, Denmark, Greece, and Sweden. In November 1991, the first Coptic Churches were established in South America, with a church in Brazil and in Argentina. Priests have also been ordained for churches in the Caribbean, including Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, and the West Indies. As head of the oldest Church in Africa, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III has been very keen to extend the Apostolic mission of St. Mark across all of Africa. There are now 33 Coptic Churches among 12 African tribes in Kenya, Zaire, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. Nairobi is also the center of the new Diocese in Kenya. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) has strong historical ties with the Coptic Orthodox Church. The two churches have been linked by very intimate relations since the early centuries of Christianity, as both are children of St. Mark the Apostle. In 1994, upon request of the EOTC, they gained Autocephaly (independence)from the Coptic Church. Both Churches still belong to the See of St. Mark and both confess one Orthodox Doctrine. Eritrea, upon gaining independence from Ethiopia, received pastoral care from His Holiness Pope Shenouda by his ordination of Eritrean Bishops to form the Holy Synod for the Eritrian Orthodox Church. 9- The Papal Visits He passed away on March 17, 2012 (Baramhat 8, 1728), may His prayers be with us all.. Amen. * Photos of His Holiness Pope Chnouda III * Arabic Poetry of Pope Shenouda III * Pope Shenouda Arabic Books