Budapest, April 25, 2012

To continue the thoughts of H. E. Zsolt Semjén, the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, let me tell you that I was deeply touched by what I saw in Cairo’s St. Marc’s Cathedral last month when I attended the mourning ceremony for His Holiness as the representative of the Government of Hungary. It is hard to describe the feelings of so much love and sadness that I saw on the faces of all those who gathered there, from ordinary people to the highest dignitaries. Tens of thousands inside and outside the Cathedral came to pay tribute to a great man who led his community with a vision and wisdom for almost four decades.

Through my humble presence, the Government of Hungary wanted to express to our Coptic brothers and sisters our highest appreciation for Pope Shenouda’s work, all his achievements in the field of community building as well as interreligious dialogue. Furthermore, we wanted to express our solidarity with all Egyptians for the loss of such a great personality who did so much not only for his own Church but also for the better understanding between Christians and Moslems as well as for maintaining and strengthening the unity of his nation. His whole life was a guide to all peace-loving and consensus-oriented persons how to search for God honestly. “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” So was the lifework of Pope Shenouda, appreciated and admired by all righteous persons in Egypt, in Hungary and all over the world.               

The Middle East, the region that is the cradle of Christianity and human civilization in general, is undergoing tremendous changes. Now, the rain is coming down, the streams are rising, and the winds are blowing in the whole region. But we will not lose our faith that finally everything will come to a good end, everything will be better than it was before, particularly in Egypt. Egypt is not alone with all the challenges that it is facing today. Hungary stands on the side of Egypt as a true and old friend. You can count on us both in good times and in bad times! The Scripture says: “Out of Egypt, I called my Son”. Egypt has been a great and blessed country since biblical times that has seen many difficulties and challenges throughout her history. In the end, it always managed to overcome all of them. We, Christians know that after Good Friday, the Resurrection is sure to come!  

Concerning the late Pope’s far-sighted policy of rejuvenating the Coptic Church, which traces its origins to the Apostle Mark, he was similar to the “wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” The Good Shepherd has left, but his sheep are safe, although he had to leave them in difficult times.

Pope Shenouda led what many would call a biblical and spiritual life — the heartbeat of this ancient church. He loved the Bible, studying it thoroughly, memorizing vast passages, and teaching classes on its content. After becoming Pope in 1971, for many years he would teach from the Bible on a weekday night in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo. He would schedule his world travels to be back in time for these Bible studies. The cathedral would be packed, and Pope Shenouda would patiently answer the questions raised by those coming to listen.

Pope Shenouda also led the Coptic Orthodox Church in its proactive ecumenical commitments. He served as one of the regional presidents of the World Council of Churches from 1991 to 1998, and was also a president of the Middle East Council of Churches.  He had a heart for church unity matched by his actions.

His voice holding up the message of the Bible, and working humbly for justice and inter-religious reconciliation within his country, will be honored.

Let us pray that it also will be heeded.

(kormany.hu)