His Holiness Pope Tawadros II enjoys the love of all the people of the country thanks to his many patriotic stances in which he proved to the whole world the unity of the fabric of Egyptian society, to the point that his famous sentence “A country without churches is better than churches without a country.” It has become engraved in the conscience of all the people of the country, confirming that the peace and unity of the country are among the most important goals of the Coptic Orthodox Church throughout its history. Pope Tawadros II is distinguished by his calmness, gentleness, and love for everyone, in addition to the strong relations that link him to all officials and political leadership, so that the state’s relationship with the Church is at its best. He photographed it, which was clearly evident through President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visits to the church and his keenness to congratulate the Copts on Christmas since he assumed the presidency of the country, in addition to his kindness in opening the “Nativity of Christ” Cathedral. In the New Administrative Capital, in conjunction with the opening of the “Al-Fattah Al-Aleem” Mosque In a scene that dazzled all observers from different parts of the world, in addition to his keenness to build a church next to the mosque in all the new cities that are being established, in a very clear signal that strengthens the principle of citizenship, and also contributes to building the new republic that is worthy of all Egyptians.
His candidacy for the papacy:
He was nominated to be the successor to Pope Shenouda III along with 4 others, namely: Bishop Raphael, the general bishop, Father Raphael Afamena, Father Pachomius the Syrian, and Father Seraphim the Syrian. He won the position of Pope through a structural lottery, making Pope Tawadros II the 118th Patriarch, on Sunday, November 4, 2012.
His vision for the future of the Church from the first day of his service was that attention must be given to church education classes from a young age. And to make servant preparation classes one of the priorities of work in the church, as service is what will create a new renaissance within the churches, whether in Egypt or in the diaspora, in addition to establishing channels for dialogue with young people, and the integration of Copts into society in various fields.. Pope Tawadros II was installed as patriarch for evangelism. St. Mark’s Mass on Sunday, November 18, 2012, headed by Acting Patriarch Bishop Pachomius, Metropolitan of Beheira, Matrouh, and the Five Western Cities, with the participation of all members of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and the participation of delegations from all churches in Egypt and the world.
The Personality of Wagih Sobhi: His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born as Wagih Sobhi Baqi Suleiman in the city of Mansoura on November 4, 1952, to a family consisting of him as a brother and two sisters. His father worked as a surveying engineer, and the family moved between Mansoura, Sohag, and Damanhour.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University in 1975, joined the Clerical College and graduated from it in 1983, then obtained a Global Health Fellowship in England in 1985, and worked as director of the pharmaceutical factory in Damanhour.
Dr. Wagih Sobhi went to the Monastery of Anba Bishoy in Wadi El-Natroun on August 20, 1986, and became a monk on July 31, 1988 under the name of Friar Theodore. He was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989, and moved to serve in Beheira Governorate on February 15, 1990, then he received Episcopal degree on June 15, 1997 in the name of Bishop Tawadros, General Bishop of the Diocese of Beheira, assistant to His Eminence Bishop Pachomius, Metropolitan of Beheira, Matrouh, and the Five Western Cities. He became responsible for serving the King Mariout region and the desert sector, and he wrote many spiritual sermons and writings.
The writings of Pope Tawadros
His Holiness Pope Tawadros is considered a prolific writer, as his writings exceeded 30 books, the topics of which vary between religious education, spiritual meditations, and the written arts, and among the most prominent of these books are: “The Coptic Orthodox Church,” “The Key to the New Testament,” “The Science of Evangelical Communication,” “This is My Faith,” “Life in Threes,” and “The Approach of Love in the Spiritual Life.”
Several books were also published under the auspices of His Holiness, including “The History of Sunday Schools in One Hundred Years” And “the experiences of the Coptic Church with the Corona pandemic”… many countless achievements: The journey of giving and giving continues, led by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, through the rules of love that he established with all the partners of the country. Rather, his role extended to open the doors of dialogue with all churches in order to Promoting dialogue, as well as encouraging social and development projects that serve all the people of the country. He is also interested in religious education, developing clerical colleges, and supporting Coptic monasteries in Egypt and abroad, in addition to his careful follow-up of all service affairs in the various dioceses of the church.
Since his inauguration, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II has achieved remarkable achievements that have greatly impacted the Coptic Orthodox Church, and these achievements included the launch of many initiatives and projects, including:
In the year 2013 Establishment of the Coptic Media Center and the Council of Churches of Egypt, in addition to the Pontifical Office for Projects, the Secretariat Office for Social Welfare, and the Synodal Committee for Crisis Management.
2014: Formation of a committee for educational missions to support religious education.
Year 2015: Establishment of the Pontifical Logos Center, and launch of the “Koji” The first specialized Christian channel for children, the establishment of the Coptic Institute for Church Management and Development, and the reorganization of the Clerical Council by forming six personal status departments.
2017: Establishing an office to care for the families of the martyrs and the injured.
2018 : Celebrating the golden jubilee of the opening and re-inauguration of the St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya, as well as the golden jubilee of the appearance of the Virgin Mary in her church in Zeitoun, in addition to celebrating the centenary of Sunday Schools and holding the International Forum for Church Youth.
Year 2019: Opening of the Pontifical Central Library and the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ.
Year 2020: Establishment of the Pontifical Commission for Postgraduate Studies, development of the Institute of Coptic Studies, establishment of the Church’s Media Authority, and launch of the COC digital channel.
2021: Establishment of the Coptic History Committee, and launch of the official website of the Coptic Church.
Year 2022 : Inauguration of churches, the number of which reached about 10 churches in the dioceses of the world inside and outside Egypt.
He ordained 10 new bishops and promoted 11 bishops to the rank of archbishopric
He held a large celebration for the Coptic press.
The European Youth Conference opened at the end of July 2022, and more than 700 young men and women from Coptic churches in Europe attended.
The opening of the new administrative building at the Papal Residence in Cairo on November 19, 2022, and the official application of the Coptic Orthodox Church was launched on February 22, 2022.
Participate in the Military College graduation celebrations And police colleges, and the celebration of the Egyptian Family Iftar, and the Police Day, a celebration of Qadirun with a difference, and the 200th anniversary of the decoding of the Rosetta Stone, and the peace conference in the League of Arab States, and he received at the papal headquarters Mr. Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, and his wife, and His Holiness the Pope concluded this year with a prayer in St. Mark’s Church in Alexandria.
2023: Rejection of sexual deviations of all kinds.
Recognizing three monasteries for nuns inside Egypt and the same two abroad.
Year 2024: The first Mass is prayed in the new headquarters of the Church of Saints in the “Triangle of Hope”
Inauguration of many churches in various dioceses.
