H.H. Pope Tawadros II appealed to the Clergy and people of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church to unite in regards to the future of their church.
At the beginning of the weekly Wednesday sermon, which was held at St. Mary and St. Bishoy’s Church, Abbaseya, H.H. mentioned that after the departure of the Patriarch of the Eritrean Church Abune Kyrillos I, H.H. offered condolences to the Church, and that three Metropolitans and the Director of His Holiness’ office have attended the Patriarch’s funeral.
H.H. expressed in his speech that the Coptic Orthodox Church is ready to help our sister Eritrean Church in regards to maintaining the unity of opinion.
His Holiness said: “We share with the Eritrean Church in the departure of their Patriarch, Abune Kyrillos I, Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and he is the fifth Patriarch in their history. He departed early this week, and of course the Eritrean Church is a sister church. Patriarch Abune Kyrillos have visited us in Egypt last July during his first visits outside his country, and we warmly received him as a brother and he spent with us about a week in which he visited monasteries and old Churches. Despite his advanced age, God granted him the health to complete the visit as we have prepared the program for it. We share with the Eritrean Church, and tomorrow will be the funeral to farewell the blessed Patriarch, and we have sent a Church delegation of three Metropolitans, H.E. Metropolitan Biemen, H.E. Metropolitan Bakhoum, H.E. Metropolitan Tomas and with them is Fr Kyrillos St Bishoy and they have travelled yesterday evening and have arrived safely and God willing they will attend the funeral. I also take this opportunity to say to the Eritrean Christian people, that your church will begin to rise, and is reunited with the ordination of Abune Kyrillos so take the opportunity and be one, either inside or outside Eritrea. Eritrean people are in many places such as Europe, America and Australia, and I appeal to you to be one and not to split and to preserve the entity of your church as a traditional oriental church and we are ready to offer all possible help”.
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