You might be able to delve deep into many people’s hearts. Yet, tackling reposed Pope Shenouda III’s life is like soaring high in heaven, then plunging into the depths of an ocean. The details of his life are quite attractive: from his early childhood till his ordinance Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He continued to teach, guide, and manage the Church’s affairs till he departed. We commemorated him few days ago. Najib Mahfuz, late Nobel Laureate, commented on Pope Shenouda’s character, saying, “Pope Shenouda has always been strong, optimistic, quite smart, a genuine Egyptian, an Arab at heart and inclination, so human, yet so universal.” Pope Shenouda was not a father to his Christian children only, but loving to everybody. So much so, that he was called, “Pope of the Arabs”. It is not easy to talk about reposed Pope Shenouda, which is why I shall deal with two main attributes that attracted people to him, namely, so human yet so universal.
So Human
Pope Shenouda was quite kind and tender. He had such a gentle heart that he sympathized a lot for people and felt their pains. He would say, “I was susceptible toward people’s pain. Whenever somebody was sick, or crying out in pain, I would leave the house, for I never endured looking at him whenever he was in such a condition.” Thus, he never stopped working to relieve whoever sought his help, or whoever he found in tribulation. He preferred others’ comfort to his own. Hence, he was loved by all who knew him, be they rich, poor, simple, uneducated, or cultured.
He used to repeat the phrase, “Give the lint of your heart before the lint of your pocket,” as he realized that love was crucial for human beings. He loved everybody, and gave special care to the needy. He used to follow up: making sure if their needs were fulfilled. Moreover, he met everybody with a lovely smile and sweet words. He got to know the secret of life which resides in being so kind as to offer love, care, and sympathy to everybody. He saw strength in loving others, not in overcoming them. A powerful man wins his enemies over and befriends them. He would repeat the phrase, “A strong man is not the one who defeats his enemies, but who wins them over.” He had a kind heart which was enough to endure everybody, and treat people patiently and lovingly. He was sure that people had different characters, and that love is the path that leads to winning people’s hearts. He spread love wherever he went.
Should you read his poems, you will feel his heartbeats. He makes you soar in a world of feelings that take your pain away. His spiritual poems take your heart to heaven, leaving whatever is mundane. He would chant:
I love You O’ Lord in my haven
You whisper to my heart with words profound
I love You O’ Lord in my grief
I love You likewise in need and pain
I love You O’ Lord as I mourn
With remorse, drowning in tears and forlorn
I love you O’ Lord at time of abundance
I also do at times of indigence
I love You when I dwell a palace
I love You when it falls and tumbles
I love Your kindness that heals my soul
And rejoice when it you cure it all
I love Your Spirit roaming around me,
Bestowing my soul with all glee.
From this deep love emanated his feelings towards all people who are but God’s creation.
So Universal
Pope Shenouda had an enlightened mind due to his extensive culture which started at an early age. He was so fond of reading that he liked it more than play. He said, “In my childhood, I was fond of reading. There were no children who I could play with. Thus, books were my favorite toys. I used to read diligently. Though I was very young, I read a lot.” He read Taha Hussein’s “Leaders of Thought”, al-Akkad’s “Sara” and others. He had multitudinous readings, which made him quite broad-minded. He read in medicine, sociology, history, literature, stories, and novels. His culture was not bound to a single realm. It included several thinkers and men of letters in the four corners of earth. Yet, he was fond, most, of writing poetry. At that time, he was still in high school. His sharp memory helped him a lot. He was able to memorize, “Heavens hail God’s glory…,” a lengthy psalm, when he was in the fourth primary. Thus, he was awarded a golden Bible.
His extensive culture and broad mind qualified him to become chief-editor of “Sunday School” magazine, then to be the librarian of the Syrian Monastery Library which is one the most important libraries. In 1962, he became the first Bishop of Education. So, he offered his congregation new ideas and culture in public assemblies. Moreover, he had many books published, and became a member of the Press Syndicate in 1966. He preserved this membership throughout his lifetime. Culture was one of his interests. So, he continued emphasizing the importance of knowledge to man’s life and saying, “Knowledge is important to everybody. God said in the Old Testament that His people perished from lack of knowledge. Man’s ignorance can possibly lead to his downfall. Hence, we care that everybody acquires knowledge, at least the part by which they can benefit in their lives.”
In effect, the culture-driven approach was Pope Shenouda’s starting point in communicating with a variety of personae enjoying a variety of ideologies. In fact, he was admired by everybody. He gave memorable lectures of which are his two lectures at the Press Syndicate: “Israel According to Christianity” on June 26, 1966, and “Israel and Christianity” on December 5, 1971. He gave a lecture at the Arab League on March 3, 1995. It was entitled, “Jerusalem, the City of Peace”. His Holiness refuted Zionism and its claims in a remarkable manner in a lecture at “Nasser Higher Military Academy.” That was on May 14, 2002. Moreover, he attended several conferences and sessions, such as, “Religion’s Call for Combating Illiteracy” (1966), “Organ Transplant” (1997), “Reproductive Health” (1998), “Combating Smoking” (2000), “New Scientific Developments” (2001), and so on. Ahmed Bahjat wrote about Pope Shenouda the following words, “It is interesting to listen to Pope Shenouda. He is quite cultured and insightful. He has a warm heart and an open mind. May God bless you, Sir. May God bless your kind heart, cultured mind, and great awareness of religions’ missions and core of history and civilization.” This is not the end of the story… Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.
