1. POPE KYRILLOS (CYRIL) V

Pope Cyril V is the first Coptic patriarch who confronted
the  "Maglis  Milli" (Community  Religious  Council),

concerning the bylaws of this council, which were adopted by Tawfik Pasha, before the consecration of Pope Cyril V, while the papal throne was unoccupied.

This Council believed that its authority was above that of
the Church. It was not formed of church members, but its
delegates were chosen by the government from outside the
church. As a result its members thought that they have an
authority over the church. Pope Cyril V tried in vain to
moderate with them through love, but they considered him
not  as  their  spiritual  father  but  as  their  competitor  in
authority. They did their best to obtain a decree from the
government  to  exclude  the  Pope  from  all  church
administrative affairs  and  from  the  presidency  over  the
"Maglis Milli."  They  were  able  to  win  the  Bishop  of
Sanabou to their side and accepted his appointment as an
acting Pope and president of the council, but the Pope
threatened him with excommunication. The Russian consul
intervened between the Pope and his children, the council
members. The members of the council however insisted on
the appointment of the Bishop of Sanabou as the acting Pope
and as their president. They wrote to the government and to

the  Khedive  informing  them  of  their  decision,  using unsuitable language against the Pope.

Some bishops and priests met in Alexandria, and declared
their loyalty to their Pope, requesting the excommunication
of the Bishop of Sanabou and his followers. The Pope
proclaimed the excommunication and the causes for its issue.

Some Coptic archons together with the excommunicated
bishop wrote to the Prime Ministry asking him for the exile
of the Pope and the secretary of the Holy Synod Anba
Yuanis the metropolitan of El-Behera. The governmental
decree was issued and the Pope was house arrested in El-
Baramous  Monastery,  and  Anba  Yuanis  in  Anba  Paul
Monastery. This decree had the opposite effect on all the
Coptic people who heartedly took the side of their pope
considering  the  excommunication  of  the  bishop  as  a
necessary  measure.  The  Council  members  asked  the
government its help to reinstate the excommunicated bishop.
The Holy synod of the bishops was called by the government
to convene in Cairo and discuss this matter. Only three
bishops came and they confirmed the excommunication in-
stead of lifting it up.

The Pope's followers requested the Prime Minister for the
return of their Pope, but he asked them to incite the Pope to
write to the Khedieve asking for forgiveness. They replied
that the Pope abstained from all earthly glory and honor, and
he would never accept this condition. Finally, after meeting
with the Khedive and sending many telegrams, the Khedive
issued a decree on January 30, 1893, for the return of the
Pope and the metropolitan. ASH. Leeder said that Cairo
never prepared a greater reception like that one made for the
return of the patriarch2.

The pope revealed his kind fatherhood by granting openly
absolution to the excommunicated bishop in front of the
bishops, priests and laity, and to all who followed him. He
opened his heart with love towards those who planned for
his house arrest, giving a living picture to priesthood and fa-
therhood.

He met the Calivate who granted him the national medal, the highest honour in Egypt at that time. The Ethiopian emperor gave him a papal crown.

Pope Kyrillos V was known for his interest in studying
and seeking for knowledge. Before his ordination, he used to
spend most of his time in the monastery in copying books for
the libraries of the monasteries. He was then called "John the
Copier." When he was ordained pope of Alexandria, he
established the theological School in Cairo, and set a special
department for church music. In addition, he established...
built a High School joined up with the primary Coptic
School in Tanta, in the Nile Delta, encouraged bishops to
build "Coptic schools" in their dioceses. He also encouraged
the "Tawfik Society" to establish schools for girls. In addi-
tion, established three schools for monks in Alexandria,
Boush and El Mouharaq Monastery, and sent seven monks
to Athens to study theology.

He took care of the priests, encouraging them to practise
pastoral care, especially visiting the people. He made two
pastoral visits to the Sudan, and there he established a Coptic
School.

He  encouraged  printing  books  and  publishing  the Theological writings of the Fathers.