The Pledge of the New Bishop
The Pledge of the New Bishop
I, the poor one… called by the grace of God to the honorable work of the episcopate,
† Pledge before God, Lord of lords and Shepherd of shepherds and the invisible Head of the Church, and before His holy altar, and before my father His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, and before my fathers and brethren the metropolitans and bishops, and the rest of the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy, and all the people.
† That I will remain steadfast in the Orthodox faith until my last breath, and that I will serve the laws of the holy Church established by the pure apostolic fathers, and those set by the three Ecumenical Councils convened in Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus, as well as the canons adopted by the Church from the regional councils and the great fathers, teachers of the Church.
† I also pledge to spread the preaching of the Gospel according to my ability.
† And I pledge also to preserve the traditions, rites, and teachings of our Coptic Orthodox Church, and to exert all my effort in teaching the people the sound faith and guiding them in a life of holiness and righteousness, and that I myself be an example to them in every good work*.
† And I pledge to love the flock and deal with it with gentleness and wisdom, and not to have a selected group among them, but to care for all, and not to judge anyone by hearsay or in anger, but to give him the opportunity to defend himself.
† And I pledge to continue in the life of asceticism to which I have vowed myself, and not to consider the Church’s money as if it were my own.
† And I pledge to submit to the supreme priestly authority represented in His Holiness the Pope Patriarch and in the Holy Synod of our Coptic Orthodox Church.
† And I ask the Lord to grant me strength through your prayers so that I may fulfill this serious responsibility and carefully shepherd this flock whose blood God will require from my hand.
Pray for me, my fathers and holy brethren… here is a prostration to you all.
(*) Up to this point, the general bishop shares with the diocesan bishop in his pledge. Then the general bishop continues as follows:
† I pledge to continue in the life of asceticism to which I have vowed myself, and to strive in acquiring the virtues befitting the rank of episcopacy.
† And I pledge to submit to the supreme authority of the Church represented in His Holiness the Pope Patriarch and in the Holy Synod of our Coptic Orthodox Church, and to walk in my work as a general bishop according to the guidance and direction of His Holiness the Pope.
† And I ask the Lord to grant me strength through your prayers so that I may fulfill this serious responsibility and perform all that is entrusted to me of works.
Pray for me, my fathers and holy brethren… here is a prostration to you all.
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