Division among the Priests

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III addresses the topic of division among the priests and explains that it is a harmful phenomenon within the body of the Church that leads to dispersal of spiritual and social work and the spread of factions and partisanship among both the faithful and the clergy.

Causes of division

• Disputes over authority (who is first, who governs the church).

• Strife over influence and areas (seizing the people or souls as if they are spoils).

• Material disagreements: money and distribution of resources and projects.

• Differences in methods and talents: preaching, voice, comportment, and style of ministry.

• The fundamental cause: the self — the priest’s care for himself more than for service and the kingdom of God.

Harms of division

• Weakening and dispersal of energies instead of positive work.

• Partisan split of the people into contending sides and loss of church unity.

• Conflicts invading pastoral work and corrupting preaching, turning it into personal blocs.

• Spreading scandal among believers and some departing from the church.

Practical examples and positive comparison

• His Holiness gives examples of churches that worked in harmony where talents varied and no divisions arose, stressing the need for cooperation of talents rather than competition.

Practical and spiritual advice to address division

• Engage in positive work and focus on ministry instead of verbal replies or hostile stances.

• Become involved in serving needy areas and caring for unattended families to reduce the vacuum exploited by sects.

• Guard the tongue: humility, silence from injurious speech, and avoidance of self-centeredness.

• Keep disputes limited among the priests until resolved, and do not expose them before the people except in matters of doctrine and teaching that are governed by councils.

• Continuous pursuit of reconciliation and a spiritual life that does not permit division.

Spiritual and educational dimension (from a Coptic Orthodox perspective)

The spiritual message is a call to unity in the Spirit and service to the kingdom rather than the self, since the priesthood is a call to sanctification and collective work. Division contradicts the Church’s testimony and distorts the Gospel’s message; therefore its causes must be addressed radically in a spirit of humility, love, and spiritual accountability.

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