What are the limits of the church's activities in the political sphere? This important question was raised in a book which was published recently under the title "The Divine Wisdom behind the Structure of the Church." Before answering this question, we have to explain the importance of this book.
The book was edited by a monk who belongs to the wilderness of Abu Maqar monastery, which is spiritually headed by Father Matta Al-Miskeen. This means that monk Makarios was influenced by the ideas of Father Matta Al-Miskeen. All these considerations did not prevent the distribution of the book through the outlets of the monastery or other Christian bookstores. The phrase on the first page, which says that the book was edited by one of the monks of the wilderness of saint Makarios, means that the many Copts who love Father Matta and who are influenced by his ideas, will see that the book contains some of the ideas of Father Matta. Even if the monastery states that Father Matta has nothing to do with the book and that he no longer lives in the monastery [the influence of his ideas will still be apparent]. Father Matta lives in an isolated place where he meets a limited number of people.
Back to the important question, the author of the book answers by saying that everyone agrees on four points, including the idea that no mixing between religion and politics should take place. Copts cannot be a passive group; they are active in contributing to all issues of national concern. Christianity does not prevent Copts from participating in intellectual or cultural fields. The idea that Copts are a minority does not exist; they are a group that collaborates with other groups of the country. Copts are not evaluated by their numbers but they are evaluated by their positive contributions, their abilities and their talents.
According to the monk, clergymen and not laymen are the ones who represent the church. Thus, it is important to tell how the relationship between those clergymen and the state and politics should be. This leads to a very important question, which is what can religion and the church offer to politics? The monk says that there are four examples concerning this matter. First, the basic duty of the church toward the country is to help politicians to see a practical example of what the world should be like. Before criticizing the social system on a political background, the church itself should be an example to be followed. It [the church] should be a positive power that pushes the world towards a better future. Thus, the church would not be silent in regard to injustice and violence, which is not only practiced against its members but against the whole community and the entire world as well. It is a great shame that the church confines its efforts to defend its members. The church should protect the poor people and it should be a shelter to everyone in times of national crises.
The second example which the church can offer the community springs out from its interior life, which is based on the sense of cooperation and love among its members, both clergymen and laymen and on how, basing on this love and cooperation, the church was able to handle its affairs and to settle any disagreements.
The church's credibility in defending oppressed and persecuted people from all religions or races proves the purity of the church's interior activities. This is much better than protesting against and complaining about the persecution its own members encounter. The church [with its clergymen and laymen] is meant to be an example to be followed and a light for all the classes of the community and not only to its members.
The author explains that pastors of the church should not participate in complaining or fighting because of class persecution or demanding certain rights; they should leave these issues to the laymen of the church who are in high positions in the fields of politics, thinking and economy to discuss these issues with the officials. These people will be more effective and beneficial. The Maglis Al-Milli [Community Council of the Orthodox Church] should restore its role. It is better if the circle expands and contains the wise Coptic clergymen and employees of the public and private associations who have high positions in the state and are not members of the Maglis Al-Milli. In this case, we should establish a new association that has a lawful existence that allows it to have a role in solving the problems, which worries the Copts and the systems of the state.
The author of the book explains that the third example of the relation of the church to politics is the role of the clergymen towards their country as they are representatives of the church. Chergymen do not the right to talk superficially about politics like other people [when a clergyman speaks the church is involved, that does not apply to other people] for several reasons, one of which is that the political opinions of clergymen are considered to be of the church even if he says that these are his own opinions. The clergymen at this moment appear to have a short party vision defending the interests of their religion only. Thus, if the clergyman has a role in politics, it should not be made by rushing into the field of politics with declarations, political attitudes or entering the elections of the parliament. The church can make its duty toward the country through the Christian people. This would be made under the condition of the belief of the clergymen in the importance of the existence of the laymen and their services as members of the nation.
The monk stresses in his book the fourth example of the role of the church toward politics and state which is its facing to the evils that exist in the world. This does not mean that the church should announce hasty radical attitudes. The attitudes of the church should be announced after deep considerations and studies from the clergymen. Presidents of the church should save their announcements and attitudes regarding these issues.
The author reveals a new vision about the attitudes of the emigrant church and its role towards politics. He says that these churches must stick to the policy of the mother church. The emigrant church is not replacing the mother church. The aim of the emigrant church is to renew the world by the power of God in order to make the people enter the kingdom of God. This means that clergymen's interest in political and ideological attitudes may cause the church to violate its message. Here lies the danger of the concern some clergymen of the emigrant churches gave to the attitudes of some of the children of the Coptic community toward the problems of the Egyptian Copts.
The monk believes that the clergyman has no authority to announce his opinions, leading a political demonstration or taking part in it because clergymen are devoted to praying only. If we pray for the president of our country, we should not participate in any action that offends him or our country. Also, the clergymen are receiving their teachings from the mother church of Egypt. Any offense which is led by a clergyman to our President, is an offense to the presidents of the churches. This is as if this clergyman is taking instructions from the president of the church which puts him in an embarrassing situation and offends all Copts.
The problems of Copts cannot be solved by demonstrations or misrepresenting our President in a foreign country. That will make things worse. Instead of the useless interest in politics, emigrant churches have an emergency mission, which is taking care of the new generations and showing the spirit of the eastern Christianity to the West. As for the problems of the Egyptian Copts, the whole Egyptian nation is able to solve them with the efforts of Egyptian scholars, politicians and intellectuals who live in Egypt.
Away from the relation of the church to politics, the book explains a number of other important issues. One of these important issues is the relation of laymen to the church. The author believes that it is important to reactivate the role of the Maglis Al-Milli, if some of its tasks has been already completed, there are other tasks that it can do like taking care of the emigrant Copts, continuously getting in contact with them and the organization with Copts businessmen to establish projects and associations that contribute in solving the problem of unemployment.
The author mentions in his book the issue of divorce in Christianity. He declares that it is necessary that the church is responsible for people who get divorced. The author says that the solution is to intensify the activities of spiritual care to families whether by the priest himself or by the help of other good families who could assist the priest in taking care of other Coptic [families]. The care should not stop with marriage but it should continue after marriage in order to prevent the problems which might lead to the Personal Status Court.
The author mentions the issue of the ecclesiastical trials and laws of the church. He sees the necessity of a clerical law regulating a committee made up of clergymen who apply the law. This committee will be in charge of establishing a law which handles all issues of the church at the present age.
The author beliefs the issue of monasticism is very important. He demands applying the teachings of monasticism especially to those who want to be monks. The author mentions the activities of the monks outside the monastery and the limits of confessions, which should be done by confession fathers. Confession fathers should keep the secrets and not accept presents. As for women who confess to them, a confession father should not look them in the eyes or ask them to give detailed confessions.
The author specifies the conditions of accepting new monks in the monasteries. The one who wants to be a monk should not be less than 17 years old, he should be able to read and write, he also should not be married, have children or need to work to support his parents. The ones who committed crimes or have infectious or mental diseases should not be accepted. In addition, those who are to be accepted must have completed their military service or must have had an exemption from it. If the abbot of the monastery is sure that there are no obstacles he gives the one who wants to be a monk a one-year trial period to examine whether he is really eager to worship God and is ready to live a humble life in which he will be totally submissive to the laws of monasticism.
The author explains that those who are recommended for papacy should meet certain conditions. He should not be less than 50 years old. He should have spent at least 15 continuous years in monasticism and he should not have been consecrated as a bishop before. The author adds that the patriarch has to practice his duties in cooperation with the institutions of the church which are the Holy Synod of which all bishops are a member and the Clerical Council which contains the oldest bishops, the Maglis Al-Milli, the Supreme Council of Ecclesiastical Judiciary, the Supreme Council of Theological Studies and the Supreme Council of Monasticism.
The book discusses a number of important issues of the church which are raising controversy and discussions among Copts. The author is responsible for his opinions, which we presented, as we believe in the importance of the dialogue regarding all issues that Copts are concerned with without being biased to any opinions.
Editor: The Monastery of Makarios presented the RNSAW with copies of the books mentioned above. The RNSAW will translate the tables of contents for its readers.
