H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays the Divine Liturgy at St. Mark's Basilica at the Site of the Relics of Saint Mark the Apostle

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H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays the Divine Liturgy at St. Mark’s Basilica at the Site of the Relics of Saint Mark the Apostle

H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays the Divine Liturgy at St. Mark’s Basilica at the Site of the Relics of Saint Mark the Apostle

May 9, 2026

This morning, H.H. Pope Tawadros II prayed the Divine Liturgy at the historic St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, which houses the relics of Saint Mark the Apostle, the Evangelist and Martyr who preached in the land of Egypt, through whom the Egyptians came to believe in Christ.

Participating in the prayers were the metropolitans and bishops of the dioceses of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Europe, America, and Australia, as well as the members of the Secretariat of the Holy Synod.

In his sermon during the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness spoke about four saints commemorated in the month of May:

On May 1, we commemorate the martyrdom of Saint George, the Prince of Martyrs, who was martyred for his faith in Christ.
On May 8, we commemorate Saint Mark, who came from Libya and was martyred in Alexandria, which became the first nation in Africa to believe in Christ. We regard him as the first Patriarch, and as Egyptians, we belong to this saint.
Saint Athanasius the Apostolic is commemorated on May 15. He was Egyptian and defended the faith against the heresy of Arius. He was the twentieth Pope, and a portion of his relics is preserved in the St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbassia, gifted by the Catholic Church to the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Saint Demiana, whose name means “gentle” or “meek,” has a great monastery in Egypt flourishing with nuns and ministry. She bore witness to Christ and was instrumental in bringing her father back to the faith.

Pope Tawadros concluded by saying: “These four examples of saints, whose intercessions we continually seek and whose lives we cherish, affirm that holiness is attainable for all. Therefore, let us strive to be faithful and live according to the commandment, that we too may become saints like them.”

The relationship between the city of Venice and Saint Mark dates back to the year 828 A.D., when two merchants from Venice smuggled the relics of Saint Mark from Alexandria to Venice. A church bearing his name was subsequently built to house his relics. The people of the city adopted him as their patron and protector, and the winged lion, the symbol of Saint Mark, became the emblem of the city.