Another monk arrested over the murder of Bishop Epiphanius

CAIRO – 12 August 2018: Another Coptic monk was placed under arrest for four days pending investigations over killing head of St. Macarius Monastery Bishop Epiphanius in Wadi Al-Natroun, stated the Alexandria Court of Appeal on Sunday, according to state-owned news agency MENA.

Monk Faltaous al-Makary, whose birth name was Raymond Rasmi Mansour, was kept under arrest by the security forces in a hospital, where he receives treatment after trying to commit suicide via deliberately slitting his wrist and then jumping off a high building inside the monastery.

After being accused of being involved in the murder of Bishop Epiphanius, the 33-year-old monk confessed that he helped the expelled monk Ash’eyaa of the St. Macarius Monastery, who is currently detained for 15 days pending the investigation, in killing the bishop.

Bishop Epiphanius was found dead on July 29 inside his monastery. Subsequently, the Coptic Church of Alexandria decided to strip Ash’eyaa of the St. Macarius Monastery of his rank following investigating him for committing “inappropriate actions” which contradict with monastic behavior and life.

Ash’eyaa tried to commit suicide a day after the murder, and he was detained at the monastery's clinic in Beheira governorate’s Natrun valley, but was released following the prosecution’s order. He reportedly used poison in his suicide attempt.

In a statement signed by Pope Tawadros II, the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, the Orthodox Church revealed that a monastic investigation was conducted with Ash’eyaa by a special committee formed by the Monastic Committee and the Monasteries Affairs Committee of the Holy Synod.