Native name البابا كيرلس الخامس Nationality Egyptian Papacy began 1 November 1874 Name Pope V | Papacy ended 7 August 1927 Ordination 1851 Birth name John (Youhanna) Reference style His Holiness | |
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Place of burial Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral Predecessor Pope Demetrius II of Alexandria | ||
Pope Cyril V of Alexandria | Wikipedia audio article
Pope Cyril V of Alexandria (Abba Kyrillos V), 112th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark for 52 years, 9 months and 6 days. He was the longest-serving Pope in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church He was born as Youhanna (John) in 1824 or 1830/1831 according to different accounts; died 7 August 1927.
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A monk
He joined the Syrian Monastery in the Nitrian Desert, where he served as abbot prior to his elevation to Pope.
The Coptic Pope
The General Congregation Council (Elmagles Elmelly Ela'am) elected him Pope, with seat in the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya in Cairo throughout his papacy. The secretary of the Council was Boutros pasha Ghali بطرس غالي, later Prime Minister of Egypt. Cyril spent most of his papacy at loggerheads with the council and objecting to its interference in church matters At the beginning of his papacy there was a dispute with the council, which Cyril won.
In general, his papacy was an era of regeneration for the Coptic Orthodox Church and he continued the work begun by Pope Cyril IV (1854–1861) in educational reform.
Notable men of the Coptic Church during his papacy included saint Anba Abraam, Bishop of Fayoum, and Habib Girgis.
In 1881 the Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV asked Pope Cyril V to ordain a metropolitan and three Bishops for the Ethiopian Empire. Cyril chose the four monks who had left El-Muharraq Monastery with Anba Abraam: Abouna Petros, Abouna Marqos, Abouna Matewos and Abouna Luqas.
When news of his death reached Ethiopia, Empress Zewditu and Ras Tafari ordered requiem masses to be said throughout Ethiopia, and that government offices be closed for three days.