FAQ
1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GENERAL BISHOP AND A DIOCESAN AKA EPARCHIAL BISHOP OF THE THRONE IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH?
- A Diocesan or aka Eparchial Bishop is a Hierarch chosen to oversee a Diocese or Eparchy, whether this Diocese or Eparchy is a subdivision of the Patriarchate or a greater Province. He can also be the Abbot of a Monastery.… Continue reading
2. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENT(S) TO BE A GENERAL BISHOP IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH?
- A General Bishop requires ONLY the approval of the Pope and the Holy Synod.
- It is to be noted, however, that the Title of General Bishop is not in conformity with the Holy and Apostolic Canon Laws of the Orthodox… Continue reading
3. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENT(S) TO BE A DIOCESAN AKA EPARCHIAL BISHOP OF THE THRONE IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH?
A Monk or a General Bishop to be enthroned a Diocesan/Eparchial Bishop requires full approval from the priests and board of deacons and congregations with whom he will work with in the future.
Please refer to the YouTube video Published… Continue reading
4. WHAT IS “THE TAKLEED” OR PROCLAMATION? DOES HG BISHOP MICHAEL HAVE ONE? WHY DOESN’T HE HAVE ONE?
- “Takleed” is the official Proclamation signed by the hand of HH current Pope when the Pope and the Holy Synod authorize the enthronement of a new Diocesan (aka Eparchial) Bishop.
- It is a 6 or more foot long official document… Continue reading
5. IS HG BISHOP MICHAEL CONSIDERED A DIOCESAN BISHOP OR A GENERAL BISHOP?
HG Bishop Michael is a General Bishop on the following six churches:
St. George – Cabin Johns, MD
St Moses – Ashburn, VA
Archangel Michael & St Anthony – Richmond, VA
St Mary &… Continue reading
6. WHAT IS THE JURISDICTION OF BISHOP MICHAEL?
As General Bishop HG Bishop Michael does not have a Jurisdiction, only the Diocesan Bishop does. Please refer to answer No. 1 and 5 above.
7. WHAT ABOUT THE RECENT LETTER DATED MAY 1ST 2014 FROM HIS HH POPE TAWADROS II?
On May 1st, 2014, due to the service abroad and desire of the Holy Synod to create new Dioceses for the enhancement of spiritual services and church services, his HH Pope Tawadros II to considered developing a new diocese for… Continue reading
8. WHAT IS THE SURVEY OUTCOME TO THE POPE’S MAY 1ST LETTER?
Total 85% Disapproval from the Church Board and the priests.
10/16 priests said NO in those six states and 17 out of 21 churches including churches supervised by HG Bishop Michael said NO.
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Congregation |
Priests |
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| Virginia | 75% – NO… Continue reading |
9. WHY DID HH TAWADROS II NOMINATE HG BISHOP MICHAEL SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS NEWLY CONSIDERED DIOCESE WITH 6 STATES? WHAT WAS THE FINAL DECISION?
Since HG Bishop Michael served more than thirty years in the area as a priest and was ordained as a General Bishop since June 2009, the tradition does not allow to bypass HG. HG Bishop Michael had personally requested… Continue reading
10. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF ST MARK’S COPTIC CHURCH OF WASHINGTON D.C. IN REGARD TO THIS NEWLY CONSIDERED DIOCESE?
Please refer to answer 7 according to HH Pope Tawadros II’s letter dated May 1st, 2014, “St. Mark’s Church of Washington D.C. shall directly report to the Patriarch” as it has been during and after HG Bishop Michael’s… Continue reading
11. WHAT ABOUT THE NEWLY PUBLISHED ARTICLES IN RECENT WEEKS LIKE “ELSHOUROUK,” “MASIHYOMASR,” AND “ROSA-ELYOUSEF?” ARE THESE ARTICLES RELATED OR CAN THEY BE CONSIDERED THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE OF THE HOLY SYNOD MEETING ON JUNE 5, 2014?
We can NOT comment on those articles. Those articles were created by non-official individuals and have no official representation by the Patriarch’s office or the Holy Synod.
Till this day, there has not been an official response from the Holy… Continue reading
12. DOES HG BISHOP MICHAEL HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUPERVISE ST. MARK’S CHURCH D.C. SINCE HE WAS THE FIRST ONE WHO SERVED IT BACK IN 1993 WHEN HE WAS A PRIEST (FR. SHENOUDA EL BARAMOUSSI)?
This is far from true. HG Bishop Michael was a priest who served St Mark’s church D.C. from 1979 to October 1996 (Father Shenouda El Baramoussi) until he was ordered to return back to his Monastery in Egypt… Continue reading
13. HG BISHOP MICHAEL IS ALREADY AN ENTHRONED BISHOP ON 8 STATES INCLUDING VIRGINIA BY “THE APOSTOLIC DICTION” FROM THE MOUTH OF HH POPE SHENOUDA III.
Please refer to the YouTube of the Trice-Blessed HH Pope Shenouda III back in June 2009 during the ordination of HG Bishop Michael as a General Bishop stating: “on some cities in Virginia and surrounding vicinities” and the Youtube… Continue reading
14. HG BISHOP MICHAEL IS NOT SEEKING THE POSITION OF EPARCHIAL BISHOP. HE IS INSTEAD FIGHTING AGAINST THE TRIAL TO CHANGE THE 2000 YEARS OLD CHURCH LAWS.
There should be no fight for the position as we learned from our fathers during the 2000 year old Church History. The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church is the highest authority in the Church of… Continue reading
15. HG BISHOP MICHAEL IS AN EXCELLENT BISHOP AND A TRUE RELIGIOUS LEADER WHO DESERVES TO BE ENTHRONED ON THIS DIOCESE.
The enthronement of a Diocesan (Eparchial) Bishop requires full approval from the priests, board of deacons and congregations with whom the future enthroned bishop will work with. This has nothing to do with an excellent or poor job of the… Continue reading
16. HG BISHOP MICHAEL IS FIGHTING AGAINST THE NEW-AGE ORTHODOX IN THE AREA
The Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria is the Pontiff and Supreme Hierarch of the Holy Orthodox & Apostolic Throne of Alexandria. He is considered First among equals (Primus enter Pares) on his Apostolic Throne. He presides over the… Continue reading
17. THE REASON HG BISHOP MICHAEL DID NOT HAVE A TAKLEED AND/ OR WAS DELAYED IN HIS ENTHRONEMENT AS A DIOCESAN (EPARCHIAL) BISHOP WAS DUE TO THE ILLNESS OF HIS HH POPE SHENOUDA III.
Please refer to answer 13. The Trice-Blessed HH Pope Shenouda III continued to serve his people till the last hours before his passing. Everyone knows that HH Pope Shenouda III was ill and receiving treatment, but his… Continue reading
18. CAN A GENERAL BISHOP BECOME AN ENTHRONED EPARCHIAL BISHOP AND WHAT IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR THIS STEP? HAS THIS HAPPENED IN THE PAST?
Yes, with the condition stated above in answers 2, 3 and 4. As a recent example in the land of immigration, HG Bishop David (was a General Bishop from 1999 to 2013 before HG was enthroned in December, 2013… Continue reading
19. WHO HAS THE FINAL DECISION TO ENTHRONE HG BISHOP MICHAEL?
The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of the church’s organization and faith.
20. THERE IS A PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN THE KERAZA DATED APRIL 2013 REGARDING HG BISHOP MICHAEL, WHY WAS THIS CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLE PLACED IN THE KERAZA WHICH REPRESENTS AN OFFICAL PAPAL SITE?
We have to highlight to our reader the timing and the surrounding circumstances of this article so he or she can understand the meaning of this article.
Timing: There were two visiting committee consisting of three Bishops each and … Continue reading
21: what about the “Apostolic Diction” and the study prepared by the Clerical School published on June 2014 stating that any document or saying -even by HH Shenouda III or any future Pope- after the ordination has no significance and ONLY what was put by the “Holy Spirit” on the mouth of HH Shenouda III during the ordination is the real reference?
There is a published study prepared by the Coptic Clerical School referring that HG Bishop Michael is an Enthroned Bishop and not a General Bishop. The study refer to an online You Tube video of the Trice-Blessed HH Pope Shenouda… Continue reading