Breaking: Pope Tawadros II suspends monasticism for a year

CAIRO – 2 August 2018: As a consequence of the mysterious murder ofHead of St. Macarius Monastery in Wadi El-Natrun, Bishop Epiphanius, Pope Tawadros II ordered on Thursday to stop accepting monks in all Coptic Orthodox monasteries in Egypt for a year starting from August 2.

Pope Tawadros led Tuesday the funeral mass of St. Macarius Monastery Head, Bishop Epiphanius.

Pope Tawadros said during the funeral that took place in the monastery in Wadi El- Natrun that Bishop Epiphanius was an ideal priest, adding that he wrote many books in different fields of knowledge.

Pope Tawadros also added that he always used to consult Bishop Epiphaniusin different issues because of his extensive knowledge. The pope pointed out that he tasked Bishop Epiphanius with attending conferences; the late bishop attended 20 conferences in five years.

"He was simple in his clothes, his house and his food. Bishop Epiphanius was very simple and he preferred to sit in the last rows,"Tawadros said.

"Despite the bitterness of pain, we raise our hands to the skies where our comfort lies,” the pope said, warning the monks against appearing on the media, and saying: "You have been cut off from the world and should not be used in any way."

The church’s statement mentioned that the bishop’s death is being investigated by the security authorities as mystery shrouds the incident.

The late bishop was found dead and covered in blood on Sunday morning. The preliminary security investigation suggested that Bishop Epiphanius was hit by a sharp object. The body of the bishop was transferred to the morgue of the Wadi El-Natrun Central Hospital.