Pope Shenouda III

– During his papacy, through regular pastoral visits, the service grew in the immigration lands (USA, Australia, Europe and Africa) in terms of establishing churches and monasteries/convents, ordaining bishops and priests, and establishing seminaries – He restored the General Religious Council in 1973 – In September 1981, President Sadat issued a decree place the Pope under house arrest in the monastery – In 1985, President Hosni Mubarak released all detainees whom his predecessor, President Sadat, had arrested, including the Pope himself – In the 1990s and the beginning of the third millennium (2000) extremist attacks took place in which the Pope chose to remain silent or retreat to St. Bishoy’s Monastery in Wadi Al-Natrun – Ordained 117 bishops and about 1,000 priests; monasticism flourished and the number of monasteries increased (28 monasteries + 7 convents); the Coptic Church came to have about 550 churches outside Egypt; he established 17 branches to the Seminary; and he sanctified the holy Myron oil seven times – Authored 140 books about spiritualities, doctrine, virtues, contests, and heresies – Received 9 doctoral degrees from European and USA universities – Has received many international honors and awards – On the day of his departure, millions of Copts and Muslims came out bid him farewell