In pics: Mass prayer served in Tanta for Bishop Epiphanius

CAIRO – 6 September 2018: Mar Girgis Hamra Coptic Church served Thursday a prayer mass marking the 40th day after Bishop Epiphanius' death, the Coptic Orthodox bishop who was deliberately murdered in July by two monks.

In Gharbia governorate, north of Egypt, many Copts headed to the church to attend the mass, where pictures of Epiphanius were placed, and security measures around the church were heightened.


A side of mass prayer held in Tanta city, north of Egypt, on the 40th day after death of Bishop Epiphanius - Egypt Today staff



A side of mass prayer held in Tanta city, north of Egypt, on the 40th day after death of Bishop Epiphanius - Egypt Today staff

Epiphanius had been a member of Mar Girgis Hamra Church before he moved to the monastery of St. Macarius the Great in Wadi El-Natrun, Beheira govenorate, and lived the rest of his life there until he became the monastery's abbot.

Bishop Epiphanius was found dead on July 29 inside the monastery. The two monks, Ash’eyaa al-Makary, whose birth name is Wael Saad, and Monk Faltaous al-Makary, whose birth name is Raymond Rasmi Mansour, confessed killing the bishop.

During the investigation, Ash’eyaa said that he was planning to murder the late bishop but failed. In the first attempt he found Epiphanius praying and in the next time he couldn’t catch him before getting to the church, but in the third attempt he could kill him in the time between midnight and dawn.

Ideological struggles: Background to Bishop Epiphanius's death

CAIRO - 12 August 2018: In an official statement released Thursday, the Church explained that those who serve God know that they are protected from the first to the last day of the year, verifying that the recent murder did not shake the church or scare those serving God.

Monk Faltaous al-Makary tried to commit suicide via slitting his wrist and then jumping off a high building inside the monastery. Also, Ash’eyaa tried to commit suicide a day after the murder.

Following the death of Bishiop Epiphanius, Pope Tawadros II issued new monasticism laws and ordered the deactivation of social media accounts of all monks and bishops.
The death of Bishop Epiphanius revealed the struggle between the school of Pope Shenouda and the ecclesiastical school of Matthew the poor.