www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Patriarch Stephanos II Ghattas Is Dead at 89

Vatican City/Cairo, 21 January 2009 (KAP/KI) - Egyptian Cardinal and former Coptic Catholic Patriarch (1986-2006) Stéphanos II Ghattas, C.M., died Tuesday January 20, 2009, in Cairo, four days after his 89th birthday. He governed his Church, which is in full communion with Rome, from June 9, 1986, to March 30, 2006. Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) created him a Cardinal in 2001. Following his death the College of Cardinal counts 189 members, of whom 116 are under eighty and have the right to vote in a papal conclave.

Andraos Ghattas was born on January 16, 1920, in Cheikh Zein-el-Dine near Tahta, currently in the Eparchy of Sohag in Egypt. He entered the junior seminary in Cairo in August 1929 and continued his studies at the Jesuit College of the Holy Family, graduating in June 1938. The same year he entered the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome, and in 1944 he earned licenciates in philosophy and theology.

He was ordained Priest on March 25, 1944, in Rome. Han ble presteviet den 25. mars 1944 i Roma. On his return to Egypt, he was appointed Professor of Philosophy and Dogmatic Theology at the Major Seminary of Tahta, then of Tanta. In 1952 he entered the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists/Vincentians) and completed his noviciate in Paris. After six years of missionary work in Lebanon he was appointed bursar and then superior of the Lazarist community in Alexandria in Egypt.

On May 8, 1967, he was elected Bishop of Thebes-Luxor by the Coptic Catholic Synod. He was ordained Bishop on June 9, 1967, in the Lazarist Church in Alexandria by Cardinal Stéphanos I Sidarouss, C.M., Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, and was enthroned in the Cathedral of Tahta on June 16. On February 24, 1984, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Patriarchate during the illness of Patriarch Stéphanos I Sidarouss. Following the resignation of His Beatitude Stéphanos I Sidarouss, the Coptic Catholic Synod convened at the Patriarchal Residence at Koubbeh, and on June 9, 1986, Bishop Andraos Ghattas was unanimously elected the new Patriarch of Alexandria, taking the name of Stephanos II in honour of his predecessor and as a sign of continuity. He received ecclesiastical communion from Pope John Paul II on June 23, 1986. He traveled several times to Canada, Australia and the United States, where he founded the first Coptic Catholic parish.

On February 21, 2001, he was created a Cardinal Bishop by Pope John Paul II. He took part in the funeral of Pope John Paul II on April 8, 2005. On March 30, 2006, at the age of 86, he resigned. The Coptic Catholic Synod of Bishops elected as his successor the current Patriarch Antonios I Naguib.

Source: http://www.katolsk.no/nyheter/2009/01/21-0004.htm

May he rest in peace!

Amado

Eternal Memory!
Stephanos I

May his memory be eternal.

I had the pleasure of meeting His Beatitude years ago when he made a pastoral visit to the Coptic Catholic parish in Los Angeles, CA.

He was so kind to my request to take photographs of him.

I remember his Beatitude leading the prayers of the Eastern Churches at the funeral of Pope John Paul II.


Eternal Memory!

Pope Stéphanos II, Eternal Memory!!

Michael:

I don't know your purpose in tagging the title "Pope" to His Beatitude.

There's only one Pope in the Catholic Church.

Care to elaborate?

Amado

Amadeus,

The word "pope" comes from the Greek word πάπας meaning "father"

The title "Pope" is not exclusive to the Pope of Rome.

It is also used by the patriarchs of Alexandria, both Coptic and Greek Orthodox.

The full title of the Coptic patriarch is "Pope and Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Orthodox and Apostolic Throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Holy Apostle".

The full title of the Greek Orthodox counterpart is "Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa".

Although the title was not -to my knowledge -officially used by the Coptic Catholic patriarchs, it would certainly be appropriate for them to use the title "pope" since they are patriarchs of the see of Alexandria.

The following is a list of Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria since the office was reestablished in 1895 by Pope Leo XIII:

• vacant see, 1895-1899
• Cyril II, 1899-1908 (styled "the Second" because St. Cyril was Patriarch of Alexandria A.D. 412-444)
• vacant see, 1908-1947
• Mark II, 1947-1958 (styled "the Second" because St. Mark the Evangelist founded the Church of Alexandria)
• Stephen I, 1958-1986 (Cardinal 1965)
• Stephen II, 1986-2006 (Cardinal 2001)
• Antony, 2006-present

In principle, they could all have used the title of "Pope," since that is the title used by the Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria. This is especially true after Vatican II, which emphasized the patriarchal dignity and encouraged the Eastern Catholic Churches to live according to their ancient traditions. After all, the use of the title "Pope of Alexandria" does not in any way imply a claim to be Pope in the Western sense, i.e. Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church, etc. On the contrary, it is simply the ancient and customary way of addressing a patriarch or bishop.

I know the ancient derivation of the word "Pope." Likewise, to the use of the title by the Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Alexandria.

However, it never came to be used by the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, for good reason.

But as a title in the Catholic communion of Churches, it refers solely to the Bishop of Rome as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.

And by tradition and by current convention, the Pope is understood to mean the Bishop of Rome/Roman Pontiff.

Amado

Amado,

You have made a valid point. Clearly, in Western usage "the Pope" without further qualification means the Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff. In Eastern usage, though, it is common (also in the Byzantine Catholic liturgy) to refer to the "Pope of Rome," precisely in order to distinguish him from the Pope of Alexandria.

Nevertheless, it is clear from this exchange of letters [vatican.va] that His Beatitude Antony both signs himself "Patriarch of Alexandria" and is addressed as such by Pope Benedict XVI. This, then, is obviously the official title in English.

However, we are dealing here with His Beatitude's title in English, Italian and other Western languages. I would be interested to know what his official title is in the Coptic liturgy. Is he "Papa Antonios" or "Patriarch Antonios"? Does anyone know?

Theoretically, the Melkite Catholic patriarch could be refered to as "Pope" since his title includes being "Patriarch of Alexandria."

The Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria do not use the Title 'Pope'. Only the 2 Orthodox Patriarchs use that title.

Well, as most have noted, the title Pope and Patriarch has been used interchangeably for the Bishop of Alexandria.

Also, the titles have been interchangeable in use since antiquity, both in the East and West. For example, the Patriarch of Antioch (Syriac Orthodox) is also referred to as Pope.

Among others, Dr. Amanda Quantz, professor at Catholic Theological Union has spoken about Papal history in the context of the Five Ancient Patriarchates.

Memory Eternal!