Here is a brief profile of each, in alphabetic order.
Father Pachomeus al-Suriani
He was famous at the Surian Monastery of the Holy Virgin in the Western Desert as a baker of qurban (church bread) and a maker of leather woven crosses. He has been with the monastery since he took orders some 20 years ago; before that he taught Mathematics at school.
Fr Pachomeus was born Maged Karam Saleh Lawandi in 1963, and held a degree in science education. In 1991 he took orders at the Surian Monastery, and was appointed rubbeita, that is acting abbot should the abbot be absent. The monks remember him best for his answer to every problem: “We pray”.
Pope Shenouda delegated Fr Pachomeus to serve with Anba Barnaba in Rome; he currently serves with a number of churches in the Rome parish in Italy. But his brother monks at Surian can count on seeing him every year on Shamm al-Nessim day—Easter Monday, on which Egyptians celebrate the Spring feast that goes back to ancient Egypt—a date which Fr Pachomeus constantly honours at the desert monastery.
Anba Raphail, Bishop-General of Downtown Cairo
It’s a safe guess to say that Anba Raphail is the candidate best-known to the Coptic public through his sermons; as a preacher he has a style all of his own that is simple yet logical, well-researched and well-structured, and convincing.
He was born Michel Erian al-Hakim in Cairo in 1958, one of six siblings: two brothers and four sisters. Hakim became a medical doctor in 1981, and obtained a degree from the Clerical College in 1984.
In 1990, Hakim took orders at the Baramos Monastery of the Holy Virgin in the Western Desert, under the name Yustus. In 1995 he was ordained a priest, then a bishop—Anba Raphail—in 1997.
Anba Raphail established several medical centres in Downtown Cairo, as well as a hospital in Fagalla. He was also responsible for the building of a church in Wekalet al-Balah and in Babal-Luq, as well as community centres in all Downtown Cairo churches. He also founded the famous Abu-Talaat wrote several books on service in church, and is known to be a staunch supporter of the scout movement in the Church, and to be active in fostering cordial relations with other Orthodox and non-Orthodox Churches.
Father Raphail Ava-Mina
He was known to have a very close relation with Pope Shenouda III; they have been said to have meetings that lasted for hours.
Fr Raphail turned 70 last month. He was born Raphail Sobhy Tawfiq, earned a law degree in 1964 and took orders at Mar-Mina monastery, south of Alexandria, in 1969. He served the monks at the monastery and became their father confessor. He also held Holy Mass for the nuns at Abu-Seifein convent at Sidi-Kreir, west of Alexandria; and served at the Anba Kyrillos VI Tahouna in Old Cairo. When Fr Mina AvaMina, the abbot of Mar-Mina monastery died in 1996, Fr Raphail acted as the contact between the monastery and Pope Shenouda III until Anba Kyrillos AvaMina became abbot in 2003.
Father Seraphim al-Suriani
At al-Surian monastery where Fr Seraphim took orders in 1993, he is known as a quiet man who was given to contemplation and frequent retreats, as well as for his words: “May God sustain His Church”.
He was born Aziz Sabry Ghali in 1959, earned a degree in Science and was a researcher in the medical field before he took orders.
At the monastery, Fr Seraphim was in charge of the guesthouse. He was chosen by Bishop Youssef of the Diocese of the Southern US to serve with him, and is currently serving in churches in the southern US.
Anba Tawodros, Bishop-General of Beheira
He was born Waguih Sobhy Baqi Soliman in 1952, to a family whose father’s job as a survey engineer required him to be stationed in various places in Egypt. The family finally settled down in Damanhur, Beheira, west of the Delta, where the young Soliman was a regular and active volunteer in Church services, and was put in charge of the Sunday School service at the church of the Archangel Michael in Damanhur. Meanwhile, he earned a degree in Pharmacy from Alexandria University in 1975 and in 1985 a degree from the UK. He was manager of a pharmaceutical plant in Damanhur.
Soliman’s relation with Anba Pachomeus, Archbishop of Beheira and the current acting patriarch, goes back to his years as a university student when his broadmindedness and keenness on church service drew the archbishop’s attention. Soliman served with Anba Pachomeus until he took orders in 1988 under the name of Theodore (Tawodros) at the monastery of Anba Bishoi in the Western Desert. There, he was put in charge of the monastery’s guesthouse. In 1990, the monk Theodore was ordained a priest and took charge of the youth service.
When Pope Shenouda decided to make Fr Theodore bishop-general, Anba Pachomeus asked to have him serve in Beheira.
Anba Tawodros has written several books on the Christian faith and Bible study, as well a number of booklets on the various feasts or occasions of the Church. He is credited with establishing the concept of special prayer meetings for specific groups, including family meetings, youth meetings, workers’ meetings, and suchlike. He launched the meetings during the 1990s, and now it has become a nationwide Church practice. He also established Beit al-Karma in King Maryut in the vicinity of Alexandria, as a retreat centre. The Beit includes a Bible museum and an activity centre for children.
Anba Tawodros also teaches at the Coptic Orthodox Church’s Clerical College.
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By Mariam Rifaat, Watani Intl.