Our Lady of Egypt is the patron saint of the Coptic Catholic cathedral in Nasr City, Cairo.
Pope formally welcomes
election of the new Patriarch
of the Catholic Copts
Translated from
January 19, 2013
The Holy Father yesterday conferred ecclesiastical communion requested from him, under Canon 6, Section 2, of the Code of Canon Law for the Oriental Churches, by His Beatitude Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, who was canonically elected Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts on January 15, by the Synod of that Patriarchal Church, after the resignation of His Beatitude Cardinal Antonios Naguib, 77, for health reasons.
Below is the text of the letter sent by the Holy Father to the new Patriarch (original in French):
TO HIS BEATITUDE
IBRAHIM ISAAC SIDRAK
Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts
The election of Your Beatitude to the Patriarchal See of Alexandria of the Copts is an important event for the entire Church, and I have received your request for ecclesiastical communion with joy, giving thanks to God Almighty.
I extend to you my warmest congratulations, with my fervent prayer to Christ that he may accompany you in the accomplishment of this new responsibility.
With all my heart, I welcome your request for ecclesiastical communion which I grant to you according to the practice of the Catholic Church.
I am sure, Beatitude, that with the strength of Christ, conqueror of evil and death through his Resurrection, and with the help of the fathers in your Patriarchal Synod, in communion with the Episcopal College, you will have the fervor to lead the Coptic Church, as she goes to encounter her Spouse, our Savior, illuminated by the preaching of the evangelist St. Mark and accompanied by his procession of saints led by St. Anthony Abbot.
May the Lord assist you in your ministry as Father and Head ('Pater et Caput') in proclaiming the Word of God, so that it may be lived and celebrated piously according to the ancient spiritual and liturgical traditions of the Coptic Church.
May all your faithful find comfort in the paternal solicitude of their new Patriarch.
I extend to you, Beatitude, my most fraternal greetings, as well as to your venerated predecessor, His Beatitude Cardinal Antonios Naguib, and to the members of the Synod, with the Apostolic Blessing which I gladly extend to the bishops, priests religious and lay faithful of the entire Patriarchal Church.
From the Vatican
January 18, 2013
The Vatican likewise released the text of the letter of Patriarch Sidrak to the Pope:
Your Holiness,
The Synod of Bishops of the Coptic Catholic Church, meeting on January 12-16, 2013, at the Casa Comboni in the Convent of the Missionary Sisters and Pious Mothers of Nigrizia, in Mogattam, have elected me, unworthy as I am, to succeed His Beatitude Cardinal Antonios Naguib, who has been for all our Church a true 'Pater et Caput' and an example of paternal care, charity and sacrifice throughout his ministry.
Through this letter, I implore Your Holiness to grant 'ecclesiastical communion' that will allow me to be faithful to our Lord in doing all I can to serve best the flock that has been entrusted to me, while expressing my fidelity, veneration and obedience to the Supreme Pastor of the Church, Successor of Peter, and our most beloved Pope.
Imploring also your Apostolic Blessing and asking a prayer for the coming Synod and the immediate future which is decisive for the life of our Church, we assure you of our full fidelity to Holy Mother Church and our devotion to your beloved Person.
To Your Holiness, most devoted in Christ,
Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak
Patriarch of Alexandria of the Coptic Catholicsi
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 20/01/2013 00:58]