Emperor Justian died on November 14th, 565. He was
succeeded in turn by Justine II (565-578), Tiberus (578-
582), Maurice (582-602) and Phocas (602-610). They all
followed in the line of Justinian I in supporting the alien
patriarch who represented the Byzantine authority not the
ecclesiastical ministry. The tension between the Egyptians
and the aliens was rather slight during the days of Justine II
and Tiberus, though the legitimate pope was unable to enter
Alexandria. Yet no sooner was Emperor Maurice seated on
the throne of Constantinople than the tension became more
severe, this matter pushed the Egyptians to rebel against the
emperor.  Three  Egyptians,  Mina  and  his  two  brothers
Abuskhayron and Jacob led a revolution that triumphed over
the  Roman  forces.  The  emperor  then  asked  the  alien
patriarch Eulogius to negotiate a reconciliation with the
leaders and with a deceptive plan he could be able to arrest
and behead them.

 

This picture shows the ecclesiastical, psychological and national situation of the Copts. They were under pressure from Byzantium as a result of interference in their faith and deposal of their legitimate popes.

 

Emperor Phocas was so much more oppressive than
other emperors that the bishops were obliged to escape from
the cities to the deserts to practice their worship and minister

 

 

 

 

by letters. In spite of that Pope Anastasius, the son of a noble
family in Alexandria was ordained during his reign. The ruler
was unable to send him away from Alexandria and the Pope
faced the threats with indifference. He was able to ordain a
large number of priests and regain some Churches from the
Chalcedonians.

The alien patriarch Eulogius sent a message to Emperor
Phocas informing him that the Pope had held a council in
which  he  condemned  the  Council  of  Chalcedon  and
excommunicated its supporters. So the emperor commanded
the ruler to confiscate the church of "SS. Cosman, Damien,
their mother and sister" and to put more pressure on the
Egyptians. The ruler acted by entering the church accompa-
nied by Eulogius and a battalion. The congregation revolted
and many fell dead, so the Pope was obliged to withdraw to
the desert of Shiheet wailing the daughter of his people like
Jeremiah the prophet.

THE INVASION OF THE PERSIANS

The Persians immigrated to Egypt. They were fond of
destruction for the sake of destruction. They destroyed the
monasteries  and  dispersed  the  hermits  then  entered
Alexandria where the king announced his desire to meet with
all  the  people  of  the  city  to  put  the  basis  of  mutual
understanding. They were about 800,000 persons whom his
army massacred on that day.

 

Egyptians  remained  under  the  persecution  of  the Persians who were themselves sun worshipers but who oppressed the Egyptians and Syrians and commanded them to accept Nestorianism. When they refused they fell victims of their brutality. This lasted until Emperor Heraclius came and expelled them from Egypt.

 

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THE HAND OF GOD AT WORK

If we have presented a picture that might look gloomy of the state of the Egyptian Church under the yoke of some emperors, now we need to talk about the bright side.

1. The flourishing of monasticism and the presence of
abbots in the wilderness who were saints, was an occasional
soothing factor to some emperors, from time to time. This
also served as a support to the popes who were deprived of
entering Alexandria most of the time of their papacy and also
to the bishops who were banished away from their people.

We will not forget when King Zeno found out about his daughter Hilaria who escaped to Egypt and lived in disguise as a monk in solitude, he opened his heart and coffers to the monasteries in Egypt, in particular St. Macarius' Monastery. Enormous  castles  and  beautiful  churches  with  beautiful marble pillars were also built.

2.  The appearance of a number of highly spiritual personalities who had the gift of miracles making was as a support to the church. Among those were Anba Psentaius of Qift and Abbot Samuel the Confessor.

3. Many Copts were obliged to immigrate to Nubia, probably  because  of  the  severe  oppression.  Those immigrants did spread the Christian faith in Nubia. In the year 542 the emperor sent a delegation to the kingdom bordering with Egypt, but its King Silko refused the imperial delegation and announced that he was satisfied with the services of the Copts among his people.

4. In this stormy atmosphere, the popes found the
opportunity not only to write spiritual, educational and

 

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doctrinal letters to their people, but some of them wrote books and articles of great value.

 

In brief, we can say that the Egyptian Church which
carried the cross and endured even at the hands of her sisters
churches, experienced the invisible hand of God supporting
her according to His promise: "Blessed be Egypt my people"
Isa. 19, granting her His heavenly consolation, and helping
her to surmount all difficulties with true inner joy.

UUU

 

 

SOME PERSONALITIES OF THAT TIME

 

1. ST. PSENTAIUS THE BISHOP1

St. Psentaius        (Psenthaisus, Psenda) was born in A.D

568, at the village of Shamir in the district of Armant in
Upper Egypt from pious parents who raised him on the
evangelic  thought.  His  heart  became  aflamed  with  the
monastic life. He rushed to see Abbot "Elijah the Great," the
head of "Abu-Fam" Monastery on the mount of Shama.

He was known for his serious ascetic life, his love for the Bible and his continuous prayers.

 

There is a story told that a brother was watching him
from the opening of his cell when he saw him read the
Prophets. While he was reading a prophet came to him
and towards the end of the book the prophet kissed him and
ascended towards heaven. This brother saw him praying with
great fear. His fingers were glowing with light.

 

 

 

 

 

One day a monk entered into the cell of that father after
knocking on the door several times. He thought that he was
sick, unable to rise up and open the door, but he found him
talking with another person. The monk kissed that man
before he left them, then said to St. Psentaius: "I ask you
father to tell me the name of that saint, because when I held
his hand to kiss it and put it on my face, I felt great power
overwhelmed me. My heart was filled with happiness and
joy, and I became as if intoxicated with wine. St. Psentaius
answered: "God has regarded my weakness, fatigue and
loneliness, as my body was very weak and overcome with
sickness, and I haven't seen anybody since I left you, so He
sent me one of His favorite saints, Elijah the Tishbite of
Mount Carmel who consoled me with his divine words."

 

This saint was known for the miracles God performed through him.

He accepted the bishopric in the time of Pope Damianos
in the year A.D. 598, after a divine revelation. He was

known for giving every spiritual care to his people, and for
his vow of poverty. He was always cheerful, entertaining and
venerable. Nobody could look straight at his face, and when
he went up to the altar, his face glowed like fire also while
watching the Holy Spirit coming down onto the oblations.

 

He was contemporary to the Persian invasion of Egypt.

 

1. Manuscript 97470 History 18, Library of the Coptic Museum, from the 14th century, published by Mr. Nabil Selim (in Arabic).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. ST. YUANIS (JOHN) BISHOP OF BURULLUS

He was contemporaneous to St. Psentaius. He joined the
monastery headed by Abbot Daniel, the priest of Scetis, then
he was chosen to be bishop of Burullus. He was known for
his love for the word of God, and personally serving the poor
and the strangers. It is said that his face glowed while he was
serving the holy liturgy. He wrote many biographies of the
Fathers,  martyrs  and  confessors  to  be  read  to  the
congregation.  This  was  the  beginning of using the Si-
naxarium (biographies of the saints) in the church.

3. ST. DANIEL, PRIEST OF SCETIS

The biography of this saint remains a living witness to
the vitality and glory of the Coptic monasticism in the sixth
century.

 

He was born in A.D 485, and when he was still a boy he
set out to Shiheet Desert. He was captured three times by
the barbarians during his early monastic life, probably be-
cause of his desire to penetrate into inner desert. On the third
time he threw a stone at his captor who fell dead on the
ground. He fled away, yet his conscience was troubled for
the rest of his life. He asked Pope Timothy III (A.D 518-
536) to impose a penalty on him because he felt badly embit-
tered. The pope tried to convince him that what he did was
in self-defence. He was not convinced; so he departed to
Rome, Constantinople, Ephesus, Jerusalem and Antioch ask-
ing the bishops of these cities for punishment. When he could
not find comfort he surrendered himself to the court in
Alexandria, but the judge released him telling him he wished
he had killed seven of those violent barbarians.

This saint's life was marked by his numerous travels throughout Egypt and abroad.

 

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Many church leaders became his disciples and later became  venerable  bishops.  He  also  cared  for  the communities of virgins.

He was a guide to St. Anastasia, one of the deaconesses who escaped with St. Severus of Antioch to Egypt in A.D. 518. She was so rich that Justinian wanted to marry her. She lived disguised as a monk in a cave close to the monastery. She lived for 28 years as a hermit in solitude under the guidance of Abbot Daniel.

St. Daniel met with Eulogius in about A.D 52. At that
time Eulogius was a stone-cutter and was concerned with
taking care of strangers. St. Daniel prayed to God to give
Eulogius generously that he might increase his loving deeds.
While Eulogius was cutting stones he discovered a valuable
treasure (a pot full of gold), so he went to Constantinople
where he tried to influence the authorities using this gold to
nominate him a minister. The saint tried to see him but the
soldiers refused and sent him away. The saint prayed that
Eulogius' soul might be saved. Indeed Eulogius took part in
a conspiracy against Emperor Justinian in A.D. 532. When
the emperor wanted to punish him, he fled to his hometown
to work again in stone-cutting. St. Daniel came to console
and support him and brought him back to loving the poor.

St. Daniel revealed the truth about St. Anasimon the queen, who disguised herself as a foolish woman to live at one  of  the  Egyptian  convents.  He  also  revealed  the personality of a great saint named Mark who was begging in front of the patriarchal building.

A thief once wanted to steal the possessions of a
convent, so he disguised himself as St. Daniel and entered

 

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