Letter of Condolence on the Departure of Bishop Samuel (1970)

Source: Personal Letter of Condolence to Bishop Athanasius of Beni Suef, October 15, 1981.

Arabic PDF

Pope Shenouda III wrote this letter while under house arrest at the Monastery of St Bishoy, as retribution for the Pope’s public criticism of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s failure to protect Copts from discrimination. The president had effectively attempted to dethrone the Pope, and appointed a committee of bishops to manage the Church in his absence, which included Bishop Athanasius (the recipient of this letter) and Bishop Samuel. Nine days before the writing of this letter, Bishop Samuel had been killed in the crossfire during the violent assassination of Sadat at a military parade. For more details on the dispute between Sadat and the Pope, and the tensions between the Pope and the council of bishops appointed by Sadat, see footnote 1 below.

My beloved spiritual brother, His Grace Anba Athanasius,[1]It is worth noting that Bishop Athanasius was a member of the council appointed by Anwar Sadat to manage church affairs in the absence of Pope Shenouda, whom Sadat had placed under house arrest. On Sadat’s campaign against the Pope and the tense relationship between the imprisoned Pope and the council of bishops appointed by Sadat to manage the church in his absence, see M. Guirguis and N. van Doorn-Harder, The Emergency of the Modern Coptic Papacy (Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2011): 160–66.

Peace and grace from the Lord,

Thank you for your gracious letter and your kind welcome to my son the Hegumen Arshilius.

I offer you all my condolences on the departure of His Grace Bishop Samuel.[2]Bishop Samuel had been tragically killed nine days earlier, on October 6, 1981, during the violent assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. My soul grieved deeply for him, and I wept a great deal, because of my connection to this loving brother whom I have known since 1949, for 32 years. He was kind-hearted, accommodating, on fire with energy. We used to work together, helping one another with all sincerity. He was with me in all my journeys. And now he has departed without my bidding him farewell! May God give rest to his soul in the paradise of joy. I held a liturgy for his pure spirit on the afternoon of October 8, 1981, with special intercessions and petitions.

Truly, who can fill the vacuum Bishop Samuel has left behind? Or rather, who can fill the many vacuums he has left behind, not only in terms of work but also in terms of heart and affection?

Please convey my condolences to his precious family, to all those who work in his office, and to his friends (although these are infinite; we cannot count them).[3]Bishop Samuel’s remarkable ability to connect with others has been noted by many. See, e.g. Phoebe F. Mikhail and Bishoy L. Mikhail, “Letter Writing Isn’t a Lost Art in Egypt. It’s an Ancient Ministry,” Christianity Today, May 7, 2020, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/may-web-only/coptic-leaders-wrote-letters-to-churches-egypt.html/, and Maged Kamel, “King of the Copts,” Salama Moussa: Reclaiming Egypt (blog), August 21, 2018, https://salamamoussa.com/2018/08/21/king-of-the-copts/.

Be well, all of you. Peace unto the holy church and peace unto our dear nation.

The Lord be with you. Pray for me.

Pray for me also, Bishop Samuel.

Shenouda
15/10/81

Notes:

Notes:
↑1 It is worth noting that Bishop Athanasius was a member of the council appointed by Anwar Sadat to manage church affairs in the absence of Pope Shenouda, whom Sadat had placed under house arrest. On Sadat’s campaign against the Pope and the tense relationship between the imprisoned Pope and the council of bishops appointed by Sadat to manage the church in his absence, see M. Guirguis and N. van Doorn-Harder, The Emergency of the Modern Coptic Papacy (Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2011): 160–66.
↑2 Bishop Samuel had been tragically killed nine days earlier, on October 6, 1981, during the violent assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
↑3 Bishop Samuel’s remarkable ability to connect with others has been noted by many. See, e.g. Phoebe F. Mikhail and Bishoy L. Mikhail, “Letter Writing Isn’t a Lost Art in Egypt. It’s an Ancient Ministry,” Christianity Today, May 7, 2020, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/may-web-only/coptic-leaders-wrote-letters-to-churches-egypt.html/, and Maged Kamel, “King of the Copts,” Salama Moussa: Reclaiming Egypt (blog), August 21, 2018, https://salamamoussa.com/2018/08/21/king-of-the-copts/.

How to cite this text (Chicago/Turabian):

Shenouda III (Pope). Pope Shenouda III to Bishop Athanasius October 15, 1981. Translated by Samuel Kaldas in Archive of Contemporary Coptic Orthodox Theology. Sydney, NSW: St Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College. https://accot.stcyrils.edu.au/ps3-sam1981/.

(For more information, see Citation Guidelines)