On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Bernard Longley convey a message of condolence to His Grace Bishop Angaleos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Great Britain on learning of the death of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church (17 March 2012).
On behalf of Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Archbishop Bernard Longley, Chairman of the Department for Dialogue and Unity, I wish to convey to the members of the Coptic Orthodox Church in England and Wales, the most sincere condolences of all the members of the Bishops’ Conference on the death of His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark.
During his long reign over 40 years as the spiritual leader of one of the world’s great and ancient Christian Churches, His Holiness demonstrated not only a profound desire to minister to the needs of Coptic Orthodox Christians but also a strong commitment to building up the spiritual bond of friendship and communion with the Catholic Church and other Christian Churches and communities.
Treasured as a dear brother in the Lord by Pope Paul VI and his successors, we recall that His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was the first Coptic Orthodox Pope to visit the Holy See in over 1500 years and signed a historic joint declaration with the Catholic Church on that occasion. We recall also the very special visit that Blessed Pope John Paul II made to Pope Shenouda in Cairo during the Year of the Great Jubilee.
Under the strong yet gentle leadership of Pope Shenouda III, the Coptic Orthodox Church has seen a remarkable revival and growth both in Egypt and throughout many countries in the world, including England and Wales. He courageously defended the rights of Coptic Christians and worked tirelessly for peace and justice. In this, his loss will be felt not only by his own Church but by Christians internationally.
We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will welcome into his Kingdom of eternal peace and perpetual light this faithful shepherd of His flock, and grant consolation and comfort to all those who mourn his passing.
