The Importance of the Clerical College (Theological Seminary) for the Church
The Importance of the Clerical College (Theological Seminary) for the Church¹
Its Impact on the Revival of the Church:
The Clerical College began with the principle of evangelism in Egypt. It was founded by our evangelist Saint Mark the Apostle, who entrusted its administration to Saint Justus. It continued to perform its vital mission in the Church, producing saints and scholars of whom Christianity everywhere is proud, and producing patriarchs and bishops for the See of Saint Mark and for other dioceses throughout the entire Christian world. It also carried out its mission in defending the orthodox faith against heresies and false teachings. Because of it, the Church of Alexandria attained a status that no other church achieved throughout those generations; it led the Ecumenical Councils, and its Pope became the Judge of the Ecumene…
Pastoral care remained sound and teaching remained strong throughout the period of the struggle of the Clerical College. When it weakened and was closed as a result of the bitter persecutions endured by the Church, the Church felt an immeasurable loss, lost the position of leadership it had held, weakness spread through many of its institutions, and the people perished for lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6).
There came a time when there was not a single preacher in the entire Church. Even when the Clerical College was re-established in the previous generation, there was not one teacher to undertake the teaching of religion in this great theological institute. Thus Habib Girgis—while still a student—was appointed to teach religion in the Clerical College.
Darkness had enveloped everything. Western denominations had spread in our land and began to feed on the body of the Church in order to grow themselves. At that point, the Clerical College returned to carry out its mission anew.
Its Work in the Church at Present:
The idea of restoring it began in the days of Pope Cyril IV, Abu al-Islah, and it took its executive role during the era of Pope Cyril V, who encouraged it with all his strength and provided its director, Archdeacon Habib Girgis, with all moral and material resources, until the Clerical College was rebuilt anew and continued to carry out its mission in spreading religious education.
The Clerical College took wide strides, though only 74 years had passed since its establishment. It came to include three sections: the higher daytime section for holders of the General Secondary Certificate, the intermediate daytime section for holders of the preparatory certificate, and the evening section for holders of university degrees. Its two daytime sections came to include more than 100 students, and its university section more than 150 students from leaders of youth and church education.
The Didymus Institute was re-established to graduate cantors for the Church, and last year it included more than 20 students from the blind and the sighted.
The Institute of Coptic Studies began to perform its mission under the supervision of an elite group of scholars. The Clerical College embraced the Church Education schools and began preparing the new curricula… It also began working to provide teachers for religious education in public schools and carried out extensive service in the surrounding villages and cities.
The Clerical College opened its doors to the people for public lectures in the Marcian Hall three days a week: Tuesday for the Bible lesson, Wednesday for theological lectures, and Friday for spiritual lectures.
The Clerical College also worked in the provinces outside Cairo through its students and professors.
The Clerical College continues to look forward to carrying out the work of the Lord and fulfilling its educational mission with struggle, sweat, and tears… praying every day with the priest, saying:
“Remember, O Lord, our assemblies; bless them. Grant that they may be for us without hindrance or obstacle, that we may accomplish them according to Your good and blessed will…”
The Theological Institutes of Other Denominations:
Other denominations in Egypt have recognized the importance of theological institutes and have established institutes to graduate pastors, preachers, and teachers.
The Protestants established decades ago the American School in Assiut, which produced a large number of preachers, and then they established a theological institute in Abbassia.
The Catholics established a theological institute in Maadi, the construction of which alone cost a quarter of a million pounds, excluding the price of its land, which amounts to several feddans. In it, each student has a private room for residence, library, and study. Its director was His Beatitude Cardinal Anba Stephanos, the current Patriarch of the Catholics (when he was a bishop).
Even the Seventh-day Adventists have their own theological school.
Time would fail us if we were to speak about the religious institutes of the rest of the denominations in Egypt and abroad.
All these theological institutes receive great attention from their churches, take full care of their students, cover all their expenses, and provide full residence. Some institutes even give each student a financial stipend during his training, reaching for some eight pounds per month, and for others fifteen pounds per month.
All these denominations stipulate that no one may be ordained a priest or pastor except from among the graduates of their religious institutes.
Internal Residence:
The residence of students in the internal section of theological institutes is among the most important and most critical matters in religious education, as the student is under complete spiritual supervision throughout his day and under specific guidance in his activity, worship, and manner of conducting his day.
In our Clerical Theological College, we do not allow students at all to stay overnight outside the college, even though some of their families are in Cairo, and some are priests and trustworthy; nevertheless, they must live in the internal section to participate in its spiritual and academic activities and to be subject to the supervision and guidance of the college.
The Clerical College is not merely information; rather, it is a life…
The Clerical College in Crisis:
Finally, the Clerical College is currently passing through a severe crisis the like of which it has not witnessed since its establishment. We kneel before the spirits of all the saints who administered it and who graduated from it, and we kneel before the spirit of our father and teacher, Archdeacon Habib Girgis, its founder in its modern era, asking the intercession of them all for the college, which is our only theological institute.
Pray for the Clerical College
The Clerical College is the trust of generations in our hands, a trust we received from the saints. May the Lord preserve it and keep it.
Shenouda
Bishop of Religious Institutes and Church Education
¹ An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine – Third Year – Issue Seven, September 1967.
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