This morning, at the Cathedral of St. Mark in Abbassiya, the ordination of eight new bishops took place, led by H.H. Pope Tawadros II, with the participation of the metropolitans and bishops during the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Entry of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Family into the Land of Egypt.
His Holiness laid his apostolic hands upon the eight monks who were going to be ordained as bishops. The ordinations included four diocesan bishops—two for the Diocese of Deir Mowas and Delga, the Diocese of Southern Germany and the Monastery of St. Anthony in Kröffelbach, and two for the newly established dioceses of Matrouh and the Five Western Cities, and Borg El Arab and Amriya.
Also ordained was a bishop and abbot for the Monastery of St. Macarius of Alexandria in Mount Al-Qalali, Beheira Governorate, as well as three general bishops: one for the sector of Ain Shams, Matariya, and Helmeya churches; another for the sector of Hadaeq El Qubba, El Waili, Abbassiya, and Manshiyat El Sadr churches; and a third who will serve as assistant bishop to H.E. Metropolitan Sharobeem in the Diocese of Qena.
Yesterday evening, during the Vesper prayers, the enthronement of H.G. Bishop Elarion as bishop over the Diocese of Beheira and its affiliated regions was announced.
The liturgy was attended by 110 metropolitans and bishops, the patriarchal deputies of Cairo and Alexandria, a large number of priests and monks, and representatives from the congregations of each diocese receiving a new bishop.
After the reading of the Acts (Praxis), the procession of the eight monks entered the church, each held by two bishops. In front of them, the deacon choir chanted the hymn “Ti Galili”, sung on the Feast of the Entry of the Lord Christ into Egypt, while the congregation expressed their joy with applause and ululation.
Before beginning the ordination prayers, His Holiness explained: “The ordination of bishops follows the reading of the Praxis because their ministry continues the apostolic work of the fathers whom the Lord Jesus sent for preaching. However, a priest is ordained after the Prayer of Reconciliation because his main service is intercession and prayer.”
Pope Tawadros added: “Thus, the rank of bishop derives its glory, value, and exalted level from this foundation. We pray for them, asking God to grant them faithfulness until their last breath, seeking grace for the service they are about to undertake.”
After this, His Holiness prayed the Prayer of Thanksgiving, followed by the testimony of the metropolitans and bishops in support of the candidates. Then, the bishops gathered around each monk and laid hands upon them as His Holiness proclaimed their new episcopal name three times, blessing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The eight newly ordained bishops are:
1. H.G. Bishop Pakhomious – Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of St. Macarious of Alexandria in Mount Al-Qalali, Beheira.
2. H.G. Bishop Karas – Bishop of Matrouh and the Five Western Cities.
3. H.G. Bishop Mina – Bishop of Borg El Arab and Amriya.
4. H.G. Bishop Boktor – Bishop of Deir Mowas and Delga, Minya Governorate.
5. H.G. Bishop Discorus – Bishop of Southern Germany and Abbot of St. Anthony’s Monastery in Kröffelbach.
6. H.G. Bishop Ologious – General Bishop, assigned to Ain Shams, Matariya, and Helmeya.
7. H.G. Bishop Athanasius – General Bishop, assigned to Hadaeq El Qubba, El Waili, Abbassiya, and Manshiyat El Sadr.
8. H.G. Bishop Ignatius – General Bishop, assigned as Assistant Bishop to H.E. Metropolitan Sharobeem in Qena (at the request of His Eminence).
After the ordination rite, the metropolitans and bishops read the Command to the new bishops, after which the new bishops took a commemorative photo with His Holiness. The Pope was then joined by members of the Holy Synod and the new bishops for a group photograph.
In his sermon, Pope Tawadros II stated: “We gather during these blessed days, celebrating the Resurrection and Ascension, and today, we commemorate the Entry of the Lord Christ into Egypt. We also rejoice in the addition of eight new bishops and the enthronement of H.G. Bishop Elarion.
Reflecting on a verse from the Gospel reading: “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24), His Holiness said: “This verse can be considered a spiritual law for all of us. To it, we can add the words faith and patience: ‘Ask in faith, receive with patience, and your joy will be full.’ We live by faith, and it is our faith that grants our Church its energy and power from generation to generation.”
He continued: “Patience is always a great work and grace that God gives to man, through which he reaps great benefits. In the Book of Revelation, the phrase ‘Here is the patience of the saints’ is repeated (Revelation 13:10; 14:12), and also, ‘By your patience possess your souls’ (Luke 21:19).
His Holiness laid out nine principles, modeled after the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit and the nine Beatitudes spoken by the Lord Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, addressed to the newly ordained bishops as well as to all metropolitans, bishops, priests, monks, archons, and servants.
His Holiness emphasized that it is important for these principles to be a constitution for all, contributing to their success:
1) First Principle: Christ is the Leader and Owner of the Church
We are all pliable instruments in the hands of God. When we grow in obedience, Christ uses us and works wonders through us. But if you place your ego in the path of obedience, you become a stumbling block that hinders the grace and work of Christ.
2) Second Principle: A Bishop is Ordained for the Sake of the People
He carries the responsibility for the people, and thus it is vital to be constantly present among them. The people rejoice and feel secure when their father is among them. Do not distance yourself—your presence brings comfort, love, and peace, and God works through you and through them.
3) Third Principle: Humility is the Guardian of Grace and the Gift You Received
The episcopacy is the crown of clerical ranks, yet in the Church, we do not believe in promotion upwards. The highest rank in service is when we bow down and wash the feet of others. Your true humility is the reason for the continued blessing in your life. It protects you and keeps the channels of grace active within you. You will see yourself as small in the face of God’s great blessings that flow through your humility. Therefore, dearly beloved bishops, beware of self-centeredness, pride, and ego, for these block the genuine work of the servant before God.
4) Fourth Principle: Do Not Neglect Your Spiritual Life
If you lose your own soul, you lose everything. Do not forget that you are a monk; continue your relationship with your father of confession, maintain your times of solitude, meditation, self-examination, and conscience-checking. Do not let the busyness of service distract you from yourself.
5) Fifth Principle: Spiritually, Ecclesiastically, Socially, and Emotionally Nourish Your Congregation
Our congregation members call us “Father,” and they are a blessed people who have lived and been nourished on faith. They are the reason the Church has survived from the time of St. Mark until now. They expect us to help them reach fullness and satisfaction in Christ. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” They need you to satisfy them with Christ, the Gospel, the Church, faith, spirituality, repentance, and a pure life. Pay attention to all sectors: children, youth, men, women, families—small and vulnerable families, people with special needs, and orphans.
6) Sixth Principle: Stay Away from the Sin of the Love of Money
This is a deadly sin. As the Lord Jesus said:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
Money is just a means for service. When someone falls into the sin of hoarding money, it hardens his heart and makes him unfaithful before God. What God places in our hands is not of our own merit. He provides it for serving His people. It is His Church; He manages it and sends what His people need.
7) Seventh Principle: Do Not Speak of the Unseen
Avoid topics such as demonic works, dream interpretation, or similar things. We pray: “All envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us.”
Be cautious not to speak on these matters in sermons or answers to people’s questions. They create a gap through which the devil sneaks in, setting traps of pride and self-deception. These are deceptions and sins, unworthy of our Church. In the Church, we only seek the salvation of souls and desire for every person a place in the Kingdom.
8) Eighth Principle: Know That God Makes Everything Beautiful in Its Time
Do not rush things so you do not enter into cycles of weariness. Just be diligent and faithful, and use your time wisely.
9) Ninth Principle: Pure Religion Before God is Visiting Orphans and Widows in Their Trouble (James 1:27).
Many people live in distress, and distress is not only material—it is often social and emotional. Keep your heart and your door open to the afflicted. And “to keep oneself unspotted from the world”—this must be a priority amidst the busyness of ministry: to guard ourselves from the many and ever-changing defilements of the world.
His Holiness encouraged the metropolitans and bishops to invite the new bishops to visit their dioceses to learn pastoral wisdom alongside their recent administrative training. He asked everyone to pray for them during the Fast of the Apostles, calling it the “fast of service.”
At the end of the liturgy, a procession of the new bishops moved through the cathedral as the deacon choir chanted “Khristos Anesti… O ou afshenaf…”while the women ululated in joy. The new bishops then returned to receive the shepherd’s staff from Pope Tawadros.
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