Encyclopedia of Comparative Theology

Ecclesiastical Questions, Part 2

🏛 Church / Administrative Issues

• Pope Shenouda III received complaints about the Church in El-Omraneya and said he will address the matter after the holidays, out of respect for the holy days.

• He talked about the Coptic Theological College library and said it needs a full-time librarian, because priests have pastoral duties and cannot be fully dedicated to that work.

📖 Clerical Education & Studies

• He gently mocked a student complaining about the difficulty of Greek, suggesting humorously that they should be taught a local (Upper Egyptian) style of Greek so they could understand.

• He stressed the importance of studying Greek since it is the language of the New Testament.

• He advised a student to hand his research on “Christ in the Pentateuch” to Dr. Emile Maher.

✝️ On Christology & the Jews’ Attitude

• He reviewed Jewish reactions to Christ in the Gospels, especially:

  • Their objections to miracles performed on the Sabbath.

  • Their objections to Jesus entering the houses of tax collectors and sinners.

  • His dialogues about his divinity in John (e.g., John 5 and 10 — “I and the Father are one”).

• He mentioned his book on the life of St. Mark which contains a full chapter about Christ’s relationship with the Jews.

👗 On Modesty (Haya)

• Asked about young Christian women wearing very short clothes in summer, he said:

  • Modesty is not only about clothing, but also the heart, behavior, make-up, loud laughter, and overall conduct.

  • Teach modesty first in the heart; outward modesty will follow.

🕊 Hell, the Afterlife, and the Righteous

• He clarified that Hades (the intermediate state) is not a place of eternal torment but rather a place of waiting until final judgment.

• The righteous who died in hope were not with the wicked nor enduring eternal punishment — they awaited final redemption in a state that includes consolation/joy.

👶 On the Conception of Christ

• The birth of Christ from the Virgin is a divine miracle that transcends natural biological laws (chromosomes/genetics).

• Because it is supernatural, it cannot be explained by normal biological mechanisms.

🧔 On Preparing Priests

• A priest may train candidates, but the final selection of priests is done by the bishop/patriarch according to canonical rules.

• He urged calm among the faithful and not to become anxious or quick to suspect.

⚰️ Memorials & Funerary Practice during Pascha

• During the Paschal season (Holy Pascha) incense is not offered for the deceased, but the body may enter the church for the prayers and there are special prayers for the departed.

• A general funeral service may be held on Palm Sunday; one may also schedule memorial liturgies for the deceased at other times (e.g., after the 40-day memorial).

🕯 On the Holy Spirit

• He differentiated between:

  • God’s presence everywhere, and

  • The Holy Spirit dwelling (indwelling) in believers through the sacrament of chrismation (myron).

• He rejected the phrasing that the Holy Spirit is “extinguished” or “limited”; rather, speak of the Spirit’s work being restricted by sin or the human response.

👩‍🦳 Nuns Entering the Sanctuary

• He stated clearly: Nuns should not enter the sanctuary or assume priestly liturgical roles (like holding the chalice). Such priestly authority does not belong to them.

🚖 On Work and Dignity

• Regarding a university graduate working as a taxi driver:

  • There is nothing inherently shameful about honest labor. Dignity derives from lawful, honest work, not job title.

  • The problem would be exploitation or arrogance, not the job itself.

📚 On the Bible’s Language and Symbols

• The Bible contains symbols and high literary language because:

  • Some messages are meant to be understood gradually — prophetic visions are often explained later (e.g., Daniel).

  • The Bible’s original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) include poetic and rhetorical forms that are not simply “colloquial” speech.

  • Past generations read and had the Scriptures explained to them (e.g., Nehemiah 8:8).

🐉 On the Beast (666)

• He explained that “the beast” (number 666) refers to a man — a person who opposes Christ (the Antichrist figure described in 2 Thessalonians 2) — rather than a nation or abstract system.

🚪 On “My Friend” in Poetry

• The use of the word “my friend” in the poem “Lost in Exile” is addressed to any reader; it’s a general poetic address, not a specific individual.

🙏 On Falling & Returning from Sin

• For someone who resolves to live for Christ but falls repeatedly, he recommended spiritual reading: Spiritual Vigilance, Return to God, and Repentance and Purity, and urged the person to exercise self-discipline and continue seeking repentance.

⚠️ On Jehovah’s Witnesses

• He warned against Jehovah’s Witnesses and advised:

  • They are not considered Christians by the Orthodox Church because they deny the Trinity and the divinity of Christ.

  • The faithful should not admit them into private homes for proselytizing, and should be informed about their errors.

  • He noted that the group’s legal/organizational status has changed (governmental restrictions), but their teachings remain theologically erroneous.