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Appreciation of the world to Bishop Shenouda

 

World's Appreciation to Pope Shenouda III

 

Never before has the world made recognition of a Coptic religious person as the world did with Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch No. 117.

The Pope’s tripshad many targets for the Coptic Church and for Christianity in general. The Coptic Church is the only church that did not change anything in it’s beliefs or rituals, it remained a closed church until it opened up to the world at the end of the twentieth century, when immigration started escaping from Islamic persecutionand intolerance of Muslims in Egypt and religious hallucinations, which hit Government of Egypt and its laws.

Pope Shenoudareceived three awards for dialogue, religious tolerance, and human rights:

  1. UNESCO Prize for dialogue and religious tolerance
  2. United Nations Award for religious tolerance
  3. Gaddafi award for Human Rights

Foreigners have heard about the Coptic Church from multiple sources, including studies of the old Pharaonic history at the secondary school, and some learned about Christianity in Egypt and its leadership of the Christian world in the Christian Byzantine period. Also the Coptic Church became known by the numbers of Egyptian Coptic migrants who often spoke about their church and Jesus. Their honesty in work often fascinates foreigners.

The Pope was called the Pope of the Arabs, and globally he headed the World Council of Churches for the Middle East for more than once, and has received several honorary doctorates from Western universities, and was warmly welcomed in many European and American cities, and some of them named the day of his visit to the city the "Day of Pope Shenouda ".

During the Popes visits many officials andleaders of the western churches attended the inauguration of the churches or welcome receptions to share the Coptic Church and its congregation there joys, many intellectuals and men of Parliament speeches have impressed the Copts for how knowledgeable they were about the Coptic history.

However, the Pope personal was famous due to theChristian struggle against evil forces which was clear in the Islamic religious hallucinations, which raged fire against Christian Egyptians, ended with the restriction of the Pope residence in the monastery and was not allowed to carry has pastoral work towards the Copts for several years and the killing of the President of the country by the hands of Islamic groups.

Pope ShenoudaLectures:

The pope was invited to give a lecture at the University of Sydney, Australia, attended by five thousand people.

His Holiness also gave another lecture at the University of Bonn, Germany, and other lectures in the United States in Claremont, San Francisco and others.

Western media:

The Western media pursues these trips, whether in television or news agencies or Arabic newspapers published in this country, and published pictures of His Holiness and the news of his visits and would write profiles about the history of the Coptic church and Christianity in Egypt and had many interview with him.

Commemorative medals and honorary certificates and cities keys discretion:

He met many Governors of the countries he visited and was handed over the city keys and commemorative medals, and one of the nice comments made by the Pope when he was handed the key to the city , he told the Mayor "I promise I will not open the cityunless in your presence."

Many organizations have given him honorary certificates and certificates of appreciation and medals. TheBronnj America Foundationchoose Pope Shenouda III to award him in 1978 the best preacher and Christian teacher. His Holiness was given this award because he preached thousands of Copticsfor a period exceeding more than thirty years through his ongoing weekly sermon, in addition to his various meetings throughout each week along this period.

** Italy has donated to Pope Shenouda III Medal of Peace and Tourism corporationin 1979

** On 09.09.1989 AD the US Congress called Pope Shenouda III to pray in the opening session, and he met with President of the Council meeting was attended by the Egyptian ambassador in Washington ..His Holiness received a certificate of appreciation for his visit, signed by the President of the Council and the state official.

Pope Shenouda III days

The mayor of San Francisco in the United States announced the declaration of the name of "Pope Shenouda III days" on the period from October 24 to 28 of every year ..in memory of Pope Shenouda III's visit to the city in 1989 ... other states has also launched the name of “Pope Shenouda III days” on the days of his visit to there states such as Jersey City and Cleveland and St. Louis, Dallas and six other cities.

Honorary doctorate Certificates:

Pope Shenouda III earned four honorary doctorates from several universities, namely: -

1 - In 1977, Pope Shenouda III received doctorate in humanities from the University of Blue Veal

2 - In 1977, Pope Shenouda III received doctorate in humanities from the University of St. Peter.

3 - In 1989, Pope Shenouda III received doctorate in Theological science from the University of San Vincent.

4- In 1990 Pope Shenouda III received doctorate in Theological science from of University of Bonn, Germany

This in itself is an achievement which brought out the Coptic church in Egypt tothe world, which the world was never aware of before. The world received and heartily welcomed the Pope of the Coptic Church of the Apostolic.

The most important international figures (world leaders), which His Holiness met with during his pastoraltrips, are:

1 -On 1972, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met President Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.

2 - on 1972 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Lebanese President Suleiman Franjieh in Beirut.

3 - On 1972, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Syrian President Hafez Al Sadd in Damascus

4 - On 18/4/1977 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met secretary-general of the United Nations Kurt Valdahim in America.

5 - On 20/4/1977 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met US President Jimmy Carter in the White House, Washington.

6 - On 15/2/1978 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Sudanese President JaafarAlnimiry in Khartoum.

7 - On06/02/1979 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Queen Elizabeth in her palace.

8 - On 09/10/1979 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met the president of Kenya President Moi.

9 - On 16/10/1979 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met President Mobutu in Zaire.

10 –On 22/9/1989 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met President George W. Bush in the White House.

11 - OnDecember 1989 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met former US President Jimmy Carter again in Atlanta.

12 - On 16/11/1990 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met German President Weizsacker in Germany.

13 - On 17/01/1994 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Kenyan President Daniel arapMoi once again at the presidential palace in Kenya.

14 - On 09/04/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met IvuonTerbtrosaan President of the Republic of Armenia

15 - On 15/02/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met French President Francois Mitterrand, at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

16 - On 16/02/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met President of the Republic of Cyprus in Nicosia Vassiliou.

17 - On 03/07/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Lebanese President Elias Hrawi at the presidential palace in Lebanon.

18 - On 21/08/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met the former president of South Africa who then became Vice President, Mr. de Kirk.

19 - On 22/08/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met President Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa in his palace in Pretoria.

20 - In 31/10/1995 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, met Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE in Abu Tyb.