Commissioned by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, the Coptic Institute for Church Management and Development implemented the basic training course program in church management and development for 10 monastic fathers who were candidates for the episcopate and who were ordained as bishops at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the New Administrative Capital on Sunday, June 5, 2022. The names of the bishops are::
+ The monk Father Arsenius Al-Bakhoumi, Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anba Pachomius in Hajar Edfu in Aswan, in the name of His Grace Bishop Arsenius
+ Monk Father Discorus Al-Baramousy is appointed Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint John the Short on the Alexandria Road, in the name of His Grace Bishop Discorus..
+ Monk Father Isidoros Anba Bishoy is appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Aswan in the name of His Grace Anba Bishoy.
+ Monk Father Yaqoub El-Antouni is appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Beni Mazar and El-Bahnasa, in the name of His Grace Bishop Anba Anianus..
+ Father Philopater the Sinaitic monk was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Shubra El-Kheima, in the name of His Grace Bishop Noufer..
+ Monk Father Bisenty Anba Bishoy is appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Abnub and El-Fateh, in the name of His Grace Anba Bisenty..
+ Father Epiphanius El-Mahraky was appointed as the General Bishop of the Diocese of El-Mahalla El-Kubra, in the name of His Grace Bishop Ignatius..
+ Father Thomas El-Tomasy, General Bishop to assist His Grace Bishop Sawiris, Bishop of the Monasteries of Anba Thomas and Mar Boqtor, in the name of His Grace Bishop Thomas.
+ Father Archilides El-Antony was appointed as a general bishop at the church headquarters in Toronto, Canada, in the name of His Grace Bishop Archilides..
+ Father Gabriel, Bishop Paula, was appointed General Bishop at the Church Presidency in New Jersey, USA, in the name of His Grace Bishop Gabriel..
The training program extended from May 25-30, 2022, at the Logos Center in Wadi El Natrun, under the patronage of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, who blessed the participants by giving a lecture and conducting a dialogue with the fathers on the evening of Saturday, May 28, 2022. His Holiness also led the Divine Liturgy with the participating fathers and the institute team on the morning of Sunday, May 29, 2022.
The training program included 24 training sessions over 36 hours, including a focused program on the concepts and skills of church management and development, as well as the tools used by the bishop in managing the ministry. This program was presented by the institute's training team, under the leadership of the institute's dean, Prof. Dr. Magdy Latif Al-Sindi.
Several bishops presented the spiritual component of the program, including His Grace Bishop Daniel, Bishop of Maadi and Secretary of the Holy Synod; His Grace Bishop Daniel, Abbot of the Monastery of Anba Paula in the Red Sea; and His Grace Bishop Julius, General Bishop of the Churches of Old Cairo and Bishop of Services. The training program concluded successfully on the evening of Monday, May 30, 2022.
+ His Holiness the Pope's lecture +
The meeting was held on the evening of Saturday, May 28, 2022. His Holiness’s speech began with a spiritual reflection on the fourth chapter of the Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy (verses 1-8) (which is the last of Paul’s epistles), explaining the “summary” of what Paul the Apostle did:
“I charge you before God, preach the Gospel” (the bishop must preach the Gospel in every sermon he delivers); “dedicate yourself to studying” (the importance of studying in the life of the bishop through various forms of study, such as attending institutes and growing in studies); “rebuke” (if deviations appear, rebuke them with a spirit of “love”); “admonish and exhort” (be the voice of truth, patient in teaching, and encourage repentance); “There will come a time when they will not tolerate sound teaching” (as we all see the teachings circulating on social media); and the bishop must be vigilant in everything, not negligent (for negligence precedes sin); and endure hardships (the essence of the ministry of the bishop is “washing the feet” as Christ did); do the work of an “evangelist” (in every place, i.e., always be joyful in the session of visitation, confession, spiritual revival, and the Mass, etc.); “fulfill your ministry” (as Christ completed it until the cross and said, “It is finished”
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Then His Holiness the Pope presented the five axes of the service of the Father Bishop. :
+History: Our church is built on the pillars of theological education, witness, and monasticism (which are the circles of history), or the “pyramids of the Coptic Church.” Therefore, the growth of the church requires complete fidelity, attention, and “transcendence,” as the word “bishop” (the one who looks from above) means.(
+Successful service has three aspects: care, management, and study.
The goal of care is “unity,” the goal of management is “order,” and the goal of study is “knowledge.”
+Holy Synod: Our Coptic Church is a "conciliar" Church. It is a council of fathers with a fatherly spirit, not a presidential one. The bishop has a conciliar responsibility to commit to attendance so as not to be separated from his responsibility to the Church, to study and research, to be appropriately represented in various meetings, and to be honest in his speech..
+Spiritual life “Take care of your own salvation first, do not let your life dry up, and build loving relationships with everyone.“.
+Ecumenical relations: Two churches that have existed inside and outside Egypt, our church is like a solid mountain. The pillars of ecumenical relations are like the pillars of the cross:
A- “Establish loving relationships” with everyone by receiving them well.
B-Study and read about churches before establishing a relationship with them.
C- Dialogue with the other based on love
D- Pray for others and you will reach the heart of Christ with these steps..
The Pope concluded the Mass by answering the questions of the monk fathers who were candidates for the episcopate. He also advised them, saying, “It is your responsibility to pass on what you have learned from the institute to others.”“.
To watch the training activities: Click Here
Finally, the Coptic Institute for Church Management and Development extends its congratulations to the newly ordained bishops, through the prayers of His Holiness and Beatitude Anba Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.
