Funeral of Archbishop Paul Antaki

Thursday, 12 January 2012 19:37

Cairo - The funeral of the late V. Rev. Paul Antaki, Titular Archbishop of Nubia and Patriarchal Vicar Emeritus in Egypt and Sudan, who died on 29 December 2011, was celebrated on Tuesday 3 January 2012 in the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of Cairo, presided over by H. B. Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem.

Concelebrating the funeral service were Abp. George Bakar, current Patriarchal Vicar in Egypt and Abp. Joseph Jules Zerey, Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem, Abp. Elias Chacour of Acre and All Galilee, Abp. Yasser Ayyash of Petra and Philadelphia in Arabia and Met. John-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo together with several priests of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Also present were representatives of H.H. Shenouda III, Coptic Orthodox Patriarch, of H.B. Cardinal Antonios (Naguib) Coptic Catholic Patriarch, (who had been in hospital for some days), and of other Churches present in Egypt, Maronite, Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic and Latin, as well as Abp. Michael L. Fitzgerald, Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt, and many priests, monks, nuns and faithful, members of the diplomatic community, politicians and members of the armed forces.

In the funeral address, Patriarch Gregorios sketched out the life of the late Archbishop, who would have been 85 on 16 January, emphasising his pastoral commitment, his great piety and his devotion to the Most Holy Mother of God.

The burial then took place in the crypt of the cathedral, where lie the mortal remains of Patriarch Maximos III (Mazloum 1779-1855) and Archbishop Pierre Kamel Medawar (1887-1955).

H. H. Pope Benedict XVI sent a message of heartfelt condolence, as did the Patriarchs of the Maronite, Syrian Catholic and Armenian Catholic Churches, the Catholic Archbishop of Cyprus, the bishops of the Melkite eparchies of the Middle East and of the expansion, and many other religious and civil figures.