Today, at midday, the funeral prayers of H.G. Bishop Mishael, the Bishop and Abbot of the monastery of St. Anthony in Krefelbach, Southern Germany, began at the monastery. H.G. rested in the Lord with a good old age last Saturday at the age of 81 years, after a monastic life that extended for about 45 years, of which ten years were bishops.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, delegated their Eminences, Bishop Bernaba, Bishop of Turin and Rome, and Bishop Arsany, Bishop of the Netherlands, to participate in the funeral prayers and offer condolences in the name of His Holiness.
The Divine Liturgy was held at nine o’clock this morning, in the presence of the body of His Grace, before the funeral prayers began, which was attended by, alongside their Graces Bishop Bernaba and Bishop Arsany, H.G. Bishop Demian, Bishop and Head of the Monastery of the Virgin Mary and the Martyr Abi Sefein in Hoesketer, northern Germany, H.G. Bishop Gabriel, Bishop of Austria, H.G. Bishop Theodosius, Bishop of Central Giza, H.G. Bishop Marc, Bishop of Paris and Northern France, H.G. Bishop Antonio, Bishop of Milan, and H.E. Mar Flexinos Matthias Naish, Metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Germany, priests from the Ethiopian and Eritrean churches, the monastery’s monks, the diocese’s priests in southern Germany, and large numbers of Coptic congregation.
H.G. Bishop Bernaba expressed, in his speech, the condolences of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II to the monks of the monastery, the priests of the diocese in southern Germany, and to the people of the diocese. The funeral prayer was attended by representatives of a number of Christian denominations in Germany, and a delegation from the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Frankfurt, headed by Consul General Amin Hassan, who delivered a speech offering condolences to the attendees, which was preceded by the speech of the representative of the Catholic Church in Germany, Dr. Lor, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Limburg. While His Grace Bishop Arsany spoke in his speech with great emotion about the spiritual and pastoral characteristics that distinguished the deceased Bishop Mishael, by virtue of their monasticism together in the Baramous Monastery in Wadi El Natroun, as well as their service in Europe as monks first and then as bishops.

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