Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

The State Council’s Supreme Administrative Court has approved the appeal filed by Father Andrews ‘Azīz Sulaymān, Archpriest of the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral at ‘Abbāsīya against Pope Shenouda III.



The court, presided over by Judge ‘Abd al-Rahmān ‘Azzouz, Head of the State Council, has ordered the Pope to re-ordain Father ‘Azīz.



The Pope had issued a decree defrocking Father ‘Azīz for performing marriages without the Patriarchy’s permission. The Pope said that the Archpriest’s marriage book was not licensed by the Real Estate and Land Registry Office [Editor: Shahr al-Aqarī. This office registers more then real estate and land. All official government documents are registered here, including registering car ownership, authorizations, etc. Since the government accepts church marriages as civil marriages priests must get a licensed marriage book from the Shahr al-Aqarī. If someone marries the priest tears a numbered form from this book, has the couple and witnesses sign it which is then used for registration at the Shahr al-Aqarī. Since each priest conducting marriages has a book with a set of numbers, once can also see from the number which priest was responsible for this. It is possible that a priest who does not have such a book borrows a book from another priest which
is equally valid.]



The archpriest performed marriages in homes and refused to remarry divorced people, arguing that it is illegal under Orthodox law. The pope saw this as a failure to comply with the church’s instructions. [Editor: This is not likely to be true. The church’s policy is not to remarry divorced people.]