Pope Cyril IV of Alexandria
Pope Cyril IV of Alexandria | |
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Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya) |
Pope Cyril IV of Alexandria (Abba Kyrillos IV), Coptic: Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲩ ⲇ̅
110th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He was born David (Daoud) in 1816. Despite his relatively short papacy, he is regarded as the "Father of Reform" of the Coptic Orthodox Church[1]
in modern times. He is credited for establishing a great printing house and printing many Church books.
While abbot of the
Ichege Gebre Mariam, who was in Cairo to press for the Ethiopian rights to the convent in Jerusalem, used this opportunity to exert pressure for his cause. As a result, the majority choice for Patriarch Peter's successor, Du'ad, was kept from taking his seat for two years.[2]
As Patriarch, Cyril returned to Ethiopia at the request of
Muslim prince",[3] received Pope Cyril unfavorably in December 1856. Sven Rubenson records that when the Patriarch expressed an interest in reviewing the Emperor's army, Tewodros II suspected him of being a spy, and confined him with Abouna Salama to their house; only after the Ethiopian clergy intervened, were both men released.[4] During a flare-up of tempers between the Abouna and Emperor in November of the following year, which led to the Abouna excommunicating Emperor Tewodros II, Patriarch Cyril lifted the interdict against the wishes of Abouna Salama; the Patriarch left Ethiopia soon after.[5]
Notes
- ^ The Dictionary of African Christian Biography Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sven Rubenson, The Survival of Ethiopian Independence (Hollywood: Tsehai, 2003), pp. 134f
- ^ J. Spencer Trimingham, Islam in Ethiopia (Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege for the University Press, 1952), p. 118 and note.
- ^ Sven Rubenson, King of Kings: Tewodros of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University, 1966), p. 70
- ^ Rubenson, King of Kings, p. 71