He is Dead But His Crown Shall Always Shine on His Head

This issue is being written on Tuesday, March 20, 2012.  At this time, the first day of Spring, an Egyptian military plane was taking off from the Cairo Airport.  Its destination is Wadi Al-Natroon, northwest of Cairo.  It is carrying the body of a truly historic figure - Pope Shenouda III.  Two more military planes were taking off, carrying Coptic Clergy, to the same destination.  The Egyptian flags are at half-mast.  So is the flag of the League of Arab States.  It is a day of national mourning.

All of Egypt was mourning Pope Shenouda, the patriarch of Alexandria, and the spiritual leader of the Coptic Church whose roots are embedded in Egyptian soil since 200 years AD - well before the establishment of the Church in Rome.  The Greeks gave Egypt its name, which means the land of the Copts.  And the Nile gave it life for thousands of years. Herodotus described Egypt in the most succinct way: "Egypt is the Gift of the Nile."

So was Pope Shenouda, for 40 years, a gift to our world.  He stood for tolerance, for the rights of minorities, for compassion towards Christians and Muslims and Jews alike.  Through it all, including an internal exile imposed upon him by President Sadat, (Shenouda dared to have truth speak to power) Shenouda stood tall, majestic and smiling.

That historic figure, that fount of learning, that defender of the continuity of Egypt as an undying civilization, was born on August 3, 1923 in Asyut, southern Egypt.  His name was Nazeer Gayed who attended Cairo University; then, in 1954, at the age of 31, he became a monk.  His ascent to the Papacy was remarkable.  He had always combined church learning together with an incredible memory for both Ancient Egyptian history, world politics and world diplomacy.  Shenouda's cosmopolitanism was one of his many hall marks.

At the time of the rise in Mubarak's Egypt of the Salafis (Muslims to the extreme right), Pope Shenouda stood shoulder to shoulder with Al-Azhar's Rectors, especially with the late Sheikh Tantawi who was succeeded by the present Rector, Sheikh El-Taiyeb.  Together they faced down sectarian violence.  During the Mubarak regime, I saw Shenouda on TV standing up during a State function to cheer a Mubarak historic announcement.  January 7, the day when the Copts celebrate Christmas, was declared as a national Egyptian holiday.  In response to Shenouda's cheers, Mubarak quipped: "We, Muslims, did not want you to have all the fun by yourselves!!"

People who knew Pope Shenouda at a close range revelled in his wit and self-deprecating jokes.  I recall an event at the Egyptian Consulate General in New York City which was held by the then Consul-General, Ambassador Sherif El-Kholy.  The occasion was held in honor of Pope Shenouda who visited the US frequently to tend to his flock in North America, and to see his physicians.  About a hundred people were invited, most of whom were prominent Copts.

Before the Pope could begin his remarks, the audience, including me appealed to him to delight them with some of his famous jokes. He smiled and responded by a joke about the Egyptians of southern Egypt (Al-Saeed) of whom he was one.  He said: "Do you know why God created the southern Egyptians?"  We laughed but offered no answer.  Shenouda's response which arouse loud laughter: "He created them only to entertain the rest of Egypt!!"

On his last visit to the U.S., the present consul-General of Egypt, Ambassador Youssef Zada, went to the JFK airport to greet him.  There was a throng of Egyptian Copts in attendance including a lady who was lavishly dressed in red and black.  The Egyptian flag is of 3 colors: red, white and black.  As she approached to kiss the Pope's hand, the Patriarch of Alexandria smiled broadly and asked her: "Where is the third color of our flag?"  Perplexed, that lady did not respond.  As Ambassador Zada later related to me in his offense, the Pope came to her rescue: "The white must be in another place."

Mourning his passing, on behalf of all Muslims, Dr. Ahmed Al-Taiyeb, Al-Azhar's Rector hit the mark in his official eulogy of March 19.  The Sorbonne educated Rector said, in part:

Al-Azhar Al-Shareef with all its institutions, including the Supreme Council of Al-Azhar, the Consortium of Islamic Research, the Al-Azhar University and Bait Al-Aailah (the House of the Family, grouping together all creeds) grieve for the passing of this great son of Egypt.  We recall his great national stances, his pure love for Egypt and of all Egyptians, and his unwavering commitment to the establishment of communal harmony and security amongst the sons and daughters of our homeland."

Prophetically, Pope Shenouda was being flown to Wadi Al-Natroon on March 20, the first day of Spring, the season of rebirth.

Though he is dead, Shenouda III shall always have his Papal Crown shine on his head!!!