The Meeting of the Holy Synod of the See of St. Mark
The Meeting of the Holy Synod of the See of St. Mark
The First Bylaw of the Holy Synod
The Holy Synod had been proceeding according to inherited traditions that carried the force of law, until finally a foundational bylaw was established for it. The Holy Synod discussed and approved it on Saturday, 1/6/1985, and the members signed it after the session minutes were written. This took place on the following day (Sunday 2/6), the Feast of Pentecost. It was a memorable day. During the Synod session, His Grace Anba Athanasius, Metropolitan of Beni Suef, said: “This is a great historic work.”
The bylaw includes 67 articles. On 5/1/1985, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III had sent a letter to all members of the Holy Synod regarding the preparation of a draft for this bylaw. In his letter, he included some points and requested the venerable bishops to send their proposals and visions concerning the bylaw. Over the course of several months, all that they sent was received. Then a synodal committee was formed, which compiled all those proposals into the form of a draft bylaw and then sent it to the Synod members for study.
When the Holy Synod held its session on 1/6/1985 at the new Papal Residence, the members studied the subject of the bylaw in general and presented all viewpoints. Then the clauses of the submitted draft were discussed article by article. The meeting concluded with the formulation of the foundational bylaw of the Synod in its present form, by which the whole Church abides.
The New Bishops
The number of members of the Holy Synod increased by two bishops: His Grace Anba Abram, Bishop of Fayoum (who was among the graduates and teachers of the Clerical College), and His Grace Anba Serapion (who was among the graduates of the Faculty of Medicine). Thus, the members of the Holy Synod became 56 instead of 54. Four years earlier, the members of the Synod had numbered 59 before the repose of Their Graces: Anba Samuel, Bishop of Services; Anba Antonius, Metropolitan of Sohag; Anba Lucas, Bishop of Manfalut and Abnoub; Anba Agabius, Bishop of Dairut; and Anba Abram, Bishop of Fayoum.
As for the three Chori-Episcopoi who were promoted, as well as the abbot of the Monastery of Anba Samuel, they had already been members of the Synod previously.
News of the Holy Synod
The Secretariat of the Holy Synod
According to the foundational bylaw of the Synod approved by the venerable bishops, the General Secretary of the Synod is to be chosen by secret ballot (election). He is assisted by a Secretariat Committee of three members, two of whom are chosen by election, while the third is appointed by the Pope.
The elections were conducted after the approval of the bylaw, and His Grace Anba Bishoy, Bishop of Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and El-Barari, and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Demiana, was elected General Secretary of the Holy Synod. Meanwhile, the three who received the highest votes in the election for the Synod Secretariat were Their Graces: Anba Tadros, Bishop of Port Said; Anba Moussa, Bishop of Youth; and Anba Rouis, General Bishop. The Pope relinquished his right to appoint the third member, and these three were chosen for the Synod Secretariat Committee.
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