About the Author Abdellatif El-Menawy was Head of News at the Egyptian Radio and Television Union, the Egyptian equivalent of the BBC, overseeing all news content. He also established Radio Misr (Radio Egypt) the first thematic radio station of its kind mixing news with contemporary music which would prove to be one of the most popular radio stations in Egypt.
The Copts An Investigation Into The rift between muslims and Christians in Egypt by Abdel Latif El-Menawy
On the passing of the late Pope Shnouda: In the traditional way, the late pope’s body was laid in state for three days. An estimated million or so came to pay their last respects. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the footage of him propped up in his chair. I had interviewed the man many times, and come to regard him as a friend. To see him lifeless was unbearable. The sheer scale of Coptic mourning was astonishing and truly deserved by a man of his stature. Yet, in some ways, the mourning was as much for the passing of an era as it was for a man. Egypt was in a period of uncertainty. The country had become lawless in the wake of the uprising that had ripped President Mubarak from power. Campaigning for the presidential election was in full 240 swing and it seemed that Islamist parties would win, just as they had dominated the parliamentary elections held the previous November. Pope Shenouda had been an emblem of stability for the Church, shepherding it safely through exile, dictatorship and the rise of the anti-Christian prejudice that is all too prevalent in Egypt today. Without Shenouda, there was no telling what the future would bring. A new pope was to be appointed in the manner decreed by the ancient liturgy. In October 2012, all the candidates were narrowed down to three and the final choice made by a child. Father Raphael Ava Mina, Bishop Theodorus and Bishop Raphael were the three. All had entered the Church somewhat later in life, having given up lucrative careers (Father Raphael in law, Theodorus in the pharmaceutical industry and Bishop Raphael in surgery) to become monks. The oldest of the three, Father Raphael was still a monk and his selection implied a return to the tradition of only promoting monks to the papal throne. The two bishops had both been prominent in the Church, running major dioceses, as opposed to the monk who lived in the Saint Mina monastery and was known to the public for his prolific writings on theology and the lives of the Coptic saints. Ultimately, when the child pulled the paper ribbon from the glass box on 18 November 2012, it read Theodorus, making him Theodorus II, 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark.