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His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was born Nazeer Gayed on August 3, 1923. While still a teenager, he was active in the Sunday School movement under the guidance of many pillars of the Coptic Orthodox Faith, including, most notably, St. Archdeacon Habib Girgis. In 1943, he entered the University of Cairo to complete a bachelor’s degree in English and History, a training which would enrich and deepen the prolific literary gifts which made him world renowned. Alongside this degree, Nazeer was granted an exception during his final year of study to also attend classes at the Coptic Theological Seminary, under the direction of Archdeacon Habib Girgis. Shortly after completing his studies, in 1950, he resigned from his position as teacher of English and History and joined the Coptic Theological Seminary full-time as a lecturer in the Old and New Testaments.
On July 18, 1954, Nazeer entered into the monastic life at Deir al-Souryan (the Syrian Monastery), where he received the name Fr. Antonios. He would later write: “I found in monasticism a life of complete freedom and clarity.” For a period of six years, Fr. Antonios dwelt in a cave that he had carved out for himself. In 1959, St. Pope Kyrillos VI appointed him as his personal secretary. Approximately three years later, on September 30, 1962, His Holiness Pope Kyrillos VI ordained Fr. Antonios as Bishop Shenouda, the first bishop for Christian Education in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the president of the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary. A close disciple of his, Fr. Mikhail E. Mikhail, remarked that under the leadership of Bishop Shenouda, the number of enrolled students at the Seminary tripled. In 1969, Bishop Shenouda was elected President of the Association of Middle East Theological Colleges.
On November 14, 1971, eight months after the departure of His Holiness Pope Kyrillos VI, Bishop Shenouda was enthroned, after his election on October 31, 1971, as the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. As Patriarch, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III established additional branches of the Seminary in Cairo, Alexandria, and abroad. Under His leadership, two branches of the Seminary were established in the United States — in California and in New Jersey. His commitment to religious education permeated every aspect of his ministry. As editor-in-chief of the El-Keraza Magazine, and as a regular contributor to other publications, His Holiness authored a staggering number of articles and books, encompassing a wide-array of genres: poetry, current events, history, apologetics, theology, and other subjects. His weekly Wednesday meeting, perhaps the longest-running weekly meeting in history (being instituted in 1971 and continuing until March 7, 2012, a mere ten days before his passing), was committed to a public discourse in religious education, featuring not only a lecture by His Holiness, but even a Question and Answer session with the thousands of attendees in consistent attendance.
His Holiness spent approximately forty months in exile under President Anwar El-Sadat, confined to the Monastery of St. Bishoy, while numerous bishops, priests, and lay servants were arrested and imprisoned. As an inexhaustible and faithful shepherd, His Holiness used this time as a spiritual retreat and as an opportunity to author more than sixteen books. After Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak, released His Holiness Pope Shenouda III from exile, His Holiness worked tirelessly to improve relations between the Christians and Muslims in Egypt.
His Holiness’ commitment to ecumenical work is likewise noteworthy. Under His Holiness’ guidance, the Coptic Orthodox Church established many delegations committed to dialogues with the various Christian denominations, and became an active participant in the World Council of Churches. In 1973, His Holiness was the first Coptic Orthodox Pope to personally visit the Vatican in over 1,500 years, where he met with Pope Paul IV. Under the leadership of Pope Shenouda III, the Coptic Church experienced a vast expansion outside of Egypt. Whereas before His Holiness became Pope of Alexandria, there were only four churches in North America, in the time of his papacy, the number of Coptic Churches outside of Egypt reached the hundreds — not only in North America, but throughout all of Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia. In establishing these communities, His Holiness made 27 pastoral visits outside of Egypt.
Indeed, much can be said regarding the work and ministry of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. On March 17, 2012, after more than forty years as Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III departed after a long battle with various health issues, and was succeeded by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
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