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Pope Tawadros II

(1952–)
Pope Tawadros 2

Even though Christianity is a heavenly life, it is practiced on earth. We should not forget that God is not isolated in heaven when dealing with us. He came down to us, and united Himself to our human nature … He took what is ours (our earthly nature and our sins) and gave us what is His (the heavenly and eternal life), as said by St Athanasius the Apostolic.

 (Pope Tawadros II, My Faith, 1990, p. 10–11)

Biography

Pope Tawadros II (4 November, 1952–) is the current and 118th Patriarch of Alexandria.

He was born Wagih Sobhy Baqy Soliman in Mansoura, and studied Pharmacy at Alexandria University in 1975.[1]Michael Faris, “The Life of Pope Tawadros II in 20 Photos: From Childhood to Patriarchate,” al-Yawm al-Sabi‘, 4 November, 2020.. He also studied at the Coptic Clerical College in Cairo (graduating in 1983) and received a fellowship from the United Kingdom’s International Health Institute in 1985.[2]“His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,” CopticChurch.net, accessed January 28, 2021. https://copticchurch.net/topics/pope/pope_tawadros_ii.html.

In 1988, he gave up his job as head of a national pharmaceutical factory to become a monk at the Monastery of St Bishoy.[3]“Tawadros II: The 118th Pope of Alexandria,” Egypt Independent, November 4, 2012. https://www.egyptindependent.com/tawadros-ii-118th-pope-coptic-church/.. He was ordained a General Bishop in 1997 by Pope Shenouda III. After Pope Shenouda’s departure in 2012, Bishop Tawadros was chosen by altar lot and enthroned as the 118th Patriarch on November 18th of the same year. 

He is the author of several books on theological topics written both before and after his ordination.[4]Mustafa Rahuma, “The Works of the Pope,” el-Watan, November 16, 2019, https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/4420057/.

Browse Texts on ACCOT

Bibliography

A. Works

Books

Tawadros, Anba. Not By Bread Alone [Laysa bi-l-khubz waḥdu]. Mariut: Cathedral of the Holy Virgin and Mari Mina, 2004.

Tawadros II, Pope. A Key to the New Testament, Vol. 1: The Four Gospels [Muftāḥ al-‘ahd al-jidīd, al juz’ al-awwal: al-bashā’ir al-arba‘]. Mariut: St Mina’s Monastery Press, 2013.

——— Vol. 2: The Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, the Catholic Epistles, and the Book of Revelation [Muftāḥ al-‘ahd al-jidīd, al juz’ al-thānī: a‘māl al-rusul wa rasā’il Būlis al-rasūl wa-l-rasā’il al-jāmi‘a wa sifr al-rū’yā]. Mariut: St Mina’s Monastery Press, 2013.

Tawadros II, Pope. The Coptic Orthodox Lectern [al-Manjaliyya al-Qibṭiyya al-Urthudhuksiyya]. Mariut: St Mina’s Monastery Press, 2013.

Articles

Pope Tawadros publishes a monthly article in the church magazine al-Kiraza. Below is a partial list.

“Church Education” [al-Ta‘līm al-kanasī], al-Kiraza (July 26, 2019): 3.

“Church Education (2): Curriculum” [al-Ta‘līm al-kanasī (2): al-manhaj], al-Kiraza (August 23, 2019): 3.

“Church Education (4): Teaching Aids” [al-Ta‘līm al-kanasī (4): Masā‘idāt al-Ta‘līm], al-Kiraza (Sept 20, 2019): 3.

“Church Education (5): History is the Greatest Teacher” [al-Ta‘līm al-kanasī (5): al-tārīkh aqwā mu‘allim], al-Kiraza (Oct 4, 2019): 3.

B. Further Reading

Faris, Michael. “The Life of Pope Tawadros II in 20 Photos: From Childhood to Patriarchate,” al-Yawm al-Sabi‘, November 4, 2020,  ‪https://www.youm7.com/story/2020/11/4/20-صورة-ترصد-حياة-البابا-تواضروس-من-الطفولة-للبطريركية/5051604‬.

“His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,” CopticChurch.net, accessed January 28, 2021. https://copticchurch.net/topics/pope/pope_tawadros_ii.html.

Rahuma, Mustafa. “The Works of the Pope,” el-Watan, November 16, 2019, https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/4420057

“Tawadros II: The 118th Pope of Alexandria,” Egypt Independent, November 4, 2012. https://www.egyptindependent.com/tawadros-ii-118th-pope-coptic-church/.

Media

Notes:

Notes:
↑1 Michael Faris, “The Life of Pope Tawadros II in 20 Photos: From Childhood to Patriarchate,” al-Yawm al-Sabi‘, 4 November, 2020.
↑2 “His Holiness Pope Tawadros II,” CopticChurch.net, accessed January 28, 2021. https://copticchurch.net/topics/pope/pope_tawadros_ii.html.
↑3 “Tawadros II: The 118th Pope of Alexandria,” Egypt Independent, November 4, 2012. https://www.egyptindependent.com/tawadros-ii-118th-pope-coptic-church/.
↑4 Mustafa Rahuma, “The Works of the Pope,” el-Watan, November 16, 2019, https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/4420057/.

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