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The Departure Of the St . Anba Khail (Mikhail) the Fifty Six Pope of the See of St . Mark

The Departure Of the St . Anba Khail (Mikhail) the Fifty Six Pope of the See of St . Mark

On this day of the year 623 A .M . (March 16th ., 907 A .D .) the holy father Anba Khail(Mikhail), the fifty six Pope of Alexandria, departed . He was enthroned Patriarch on the 30th . ofBaramouda 5296 A .M . (April 25th ., year 880 A .D .) . This father had nobel qualities, neverthelessa great sorrow came upon him .Pope Cosma II built a church on the name of St . Ebtelmaos in the city of Danousher which wasunder the jurisdiction of the bishop of Sakha . The people of Danousher desired to invite the fatherthe Patriarch Anba Mikhail and some of the neighboring bishops to consecrate this church but theBishop of Sakha was not pleased with this idea . When they did against his wish and the father thePatriarch along with the bishops came, this bishop refused to stay and he left the churchpretending that he was going to check on their meal . When the Bishop did not come back, and thetime to start the service had passed, the bishops and the elders asked the father the Patriarch tobegin the service . Having urged the Patriarch and pointed out that he was the father of them alland having authority over them, with difficulty he rose up and prayed the prayer of thanks givingand the offering of the Lamb . When the Bishop heard of this, and for his wickedness and his lovefor the glory of the world, he became enraged with the excuse that the Patriarch had violated thecannons of the church and celebrated the divine Liturgy in a parish without the permission of itsbishop . He returned to the church in hast and Satan entered his heart, he transgressed against theholy and pure altar and the offering that was on it, then left the church full of wrath . The fatherthe Patriarch completed the Divine Liturgy with calmness and maturity .266On the following day the Patriarch held a council from the bishops who were with him, thepriests, and the scholars and they excommunicated this bishop and appointed another in his stead .That Bishop became furious, Satan entered his heart and he went to the Governor of EgyptAhmad Ebn-Tolon and told him: "The Patriarch is very wealthy, and his churches are filled withvessels, in gold and silver ."This Governor was preparing to go to war and needed funds to finance these preparations . Hecalled the Patriarch and demanded the church funds and its vessels, but the Patriarch refused . Heshut him up in prison with a deacon whose name was Ebn El-Monzer for a year during which thePope ate only bread, salt, and boiled beans . John and Moses, two scribes of the Governor, agreedwith the scribes of the Governor's minister John and his son Macarius to free the father the Patriarch and they asked for the minister's help who agreed to their request . He interceded on their behalf before the Governor Ebn-Tolon who agreed on a condition that the Patriarch pay him20 thousand Dinar . The Patriarch wrote a promissory note to pay the amount on two installments:the first after one month and the second after four month and this way he was able to leave theprison . When the time came to pay the first instalment those scribes paid two thousand dinar, theminister contributed one thousand and Anba Michail paid seven thousands, he collected from thebishops and the believers .The pope was compelled to travel to collect the sum required for the second instalment. When he was at the city of Belbays, a monk with ragged cloth passed by the Pope's disciples and told them:"Go and tell your teacher that the lord will relieve him from his fine after forty days." When the father heard that he sent for that monk but they could not find him . Before that period had passed Ebn-Tolon died and his son Khamarawaih, who forgave the Patriarch of his debt, took his place year 875 A .M. He called the Patriarch, comforted him and then tore up the promissory note as the monk had prophesied .The wicked Bishop that caused all these troubles for the holy father Anba Mikhail, the wrath of God came upon him in his life and his death to be an example for others . This father spent twenty seven years on the chair of St . Mark, then departed in peace .May his prayers be with us . Amen .