In previous articles, we talked about King Al-Adel and his rule over Egypt, he was succeeded by his son, King Al-Kamel who died in 635 AH (1238 AD). The contemporary patriarch was Pope Youhanna VI (the seventy-fourth patriarch of Alexandria), whose pontificate began since the days of Sultan Salah al-Din and lasted along 27 years until he departed in 1216 AD during the era of King Al-Adel. After the departure of Pope Youhanna VI, the See of St. Mark remained vacant for nearly 19 years, until Pope Kyrillos III (Ibn Luqluq) was ordained as the seventy-fifth patriarch of Alexandria.
It was mentioned before that Pope Youhanna VI fainted for three hours one day before his departure. Then it happened that the Pope opened his eyes and spoke with the elders of Egypt’s Copts who were present with him, he asked them about his student Mansour who had been sick, and he was told that he died. The pope asked them to shroud and bury him, then he said: “Tomorrow I will be with him.” He fainted again afterwards, but opened his eyes suddenly and told those present with him: “There will be a great disagreement between you after my departure regarding who would be ordained, and the chair will be patriarch-less for a long time.”
King Al-Kamel maintained great love for the Copts of Egypt. It was reported that he went out one day to hunt, and crossed the Sea of Abyar, where he saw on a hill a hermitage inhabited by a hermit monk (he never leaves his place), residing there to pray and worship God. King Al-Kamel called the monk, who in turn prayed for the king, Al-Kamel complained to the monk regarding a pain in his heart, so the hermit recited prayers on some oil and gave it to the king to apply it on the pain place, pleading for God to heal him. He was cured once he applied the oil, so a great love for Copts was rooted in his heart.
When King Al-Kamel returned to Cairo, he drew closer to himself a Copt named Abu al-Futuh, who had been appointed by King Al-Adel in the Ministry of the Armies, putting big trust in him. It was said about Abu al-Futuh, “He used to give everything he owned as alms, saving nothing, doing good to both Christians and Muslims, he was never married, and he was a perfect man of good deeds.”
In those days, a priest from Fayoum called Dawood was known as “Ibn Luqluq”, and he was a vivid reader and scholar who delved into religious sciences. He stayed at Abu al-Futuh’s as a teacher, during the era of Pope Youhanna VI, who was satisfied neither with Priest Dawood nor with Abu Aal-Futuh who hosted the former. It came to happen that the Metropolitan of Abyssinia died, and a messenger came asking for the ordination of another metropolitan for them. When Priest Dawood heard about this, he offered two hundred dinars to King Al-Adel to be ordained himself a metropolitan for Abyssinia. King Al-Adel sent a messenger to Pope Youhanna VI ordering him to do so, but the patriarch replied that this person was not fit because of his Roman beliefs. If he went to Abyssinia, he would corrupt their faith and drive them out of obedience to the church and the state, and may lead them to wars and bloodshed. Being informed with the patriarch’s response, King Al-Adel did not force him to ordain that person. The father patriarch passed away, being unsatisfied with Priest Dawood and Abu al-Futuh.
After the departure of Pope Youhanna VI, Abu al-Futuh tried to help Priest Dawood to be ordained as patriarch. So he gathered with some people and tried to convince them of ordaining Priest Dawood, only a few number consented against the rejection of a bigger number, he could not bring all people to agree on one opinion. Abu al Futuh’s attempts to ordain Priest Dawood as patriarch did not cease; he sent to the father bishops, and seven came to him, and… stories about beautiful Egypt never end!
The General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
