Menassa Youhanna
Encyclopedia
Father Menassa Youhanna was a Copt
ic priest, historian and theologian, most noted for his work on the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Abouna is his informative title meaning our father in Egyptian Arabic
which is used among Copt
s to call any Priest in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and until the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it could be used to call a Meropolitan, a Bishop or even the Pope by the word Abouya meaning my father. This has been replaced now by the word sayedna meaning our master for The Pope and any other Bishop.
Abouna Menassa was a deacon
, then ordinated as a priest
on January 25, 1925, of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Mallawi
, El Minya
.
He depended on both Coptic and non Coptic sources for his work and in his account of the history of the Coptic Church he tried to be non-biased although his compassion towrds his church is very noticeable.
He had other books about the church and theological topics.
He tried to give a history of the Coptic church in a way that is easy to understand and relate. In his attempt to do this he used simple yet correct language, and he tried to put the names in a standardised form; for example, when wrote about the Popes with the Name John
he used the name Youhanna and not Youannis so the reader can relate that the name is the same but can be put in different versions
When comparing his work with the History of the Coptic Church by Iris Habib Elmasry
, Abouna Menassa's account is more concise and neutral, although leaving out some details included in Miss Elmasry's books, which made her work of use to both academic and non academic readers. Miss Elmasry used his work as one of her sources.
One of the notable differences between the two historians is the way the history of Pope Cyril III
is presented in Miss Elmasry's book in comparison to the way it was presented in Abouna Youhanna's book.
Although both of them had notable affection towards the Coptic Church, Abouna Menassa's account was more neutral when approaching the matter of selection of this Pontiff to be the Pope.
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
ic priest, historian and theologian, most noted for his work on the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Biography
He was born in August, 1899 in Mallawi in Upper Egypt and died on Friday May 16, 1930, at the age of 30. Born in a Coptic Orthodox family, his father was also a priest.Abouna is his informative title meaning our father in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic is the language spoken by contemporary Egyptians.It is more commonly known locally as the Egyptian colloquial language or Egyptian dialect ....
which is used among Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s to call any Priest in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and until the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it could be used to call a Meropolitan, a Bishop or even the Pope by the word Abouya meaning my father. This has been replaced now by the word sayedna meaning our master for The Pope and any other Bishop.
Abouna Menassa was a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
, then ordinated as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
on January 25, 1925, of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Mallawi
Mallawi
Mallawi is a town in Egypt, located in the governorate of Minya.- Overview :Situated in a farm area, the town produces textiles and handicrafts.The total area of the city is about...
, El Minya
Minya Governorate
Minya Governorate is one of the governorates of Upper Egypt. The name originates from the chief city of the governorate, originally known in Sahidic Coptic as Tmoone and in Bohairic as Thmonē , meaning “the residence”, in reference to a monastery formerly in the area...
.
Books
His book about the History of the Coptic Orthodox Church is very comprehensive; in about five hundred and thirty pages he managed to give a summary of the Church's history over nineteen centuries without omitting important details.He depended on both Coptic and non Coptic sources for his work and in his account of the history of the Coptic Church he tried to be non-biased although his compassion towrds his church is very noticeable.
He had other books about the church and theological topics.
- The Way to Heaven.
- The Crucified Jesus.
- The Sun of Righteousness.
- A Guide to the Bible.
- Saint John Chrysostom.
- History of the Spread of Christianity.
- The Life of Adam.
- The Vial of Precious Perfume.
- The Complete Evidence for the True Faith by Saint Athanasious.
- The Influence of Christianity.
Style
Putting in mind that he wrote his books to be read mainly by non-academic readers without disregarding academic ones, and that he wrote it in the early 1920s, his style is elegant yet easy to read and his work would be of good use for any person interested in this church's history from the beginnings til early 1920s .He tried to give a history of the Coptic church in a way that is easy to understand and relate. In his attempt to do this he used simple yet correct language, and he tried to put the names in a standardised form; for example, when wrote about the Popes with the Name John
John (name)
John is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Latin Ioannes, Iohannes, which is in turn a form of the Greek , Iōánnēs. This Greek name is a form of the Hebrew name , , which means "God is generous"...
he used the name Youhanna and not Youannis so the reader can relate that the name is the same but can be put in different versions
When comparing his work with the History of the Coptic Church by Iris Habib Elmasry
Iris Habib Elmasry
Iris Habib Elmasry was a prominent Coptic Historian .-Biography:Iris Habib Elmasry was born into a righteous Coptic family 1910, Her family name Elmasry in Arabic language means The Egyptian....
, Abouna Menassa's account is more concise and neutral, although leaving out some details included in Miss Elmasry's books, which made her work of use to both academic and non academic readers. Miss Elmasry used his work as one of her sources.
One of the notable differences between the two historians is the way the history of Pope Cyril III
Pope Cyril III of Alexandria
Pope Cyril III of Alexandria was the Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark Number 75...
is presented in Miss Elmasry's book in comparison to the way it was presented in Abouna Youhanna's book.
Although both of them had notable affection towards the Coptic Church, Abouna Menassa's account was more neutral when approaching the matter of selection of this Pontiff to be the Pope.
See also
- CoptCoptThe Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s - List of prominent Copts
- Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
- Habib GirgisHabib GirgisArchdeacon Habib Kozman Girgis was a modern-day dean of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Habib Girgis was born in Cairo in 1876....
- Iris Habib ElmasryIris Habib ElmasryIris Habib Elmasry was a prominent Coptic Historian .-Biography:Iris Habib Elmasry was born into a righteous Coptic family 1910, Her family name Elmasry in Arabic language means The Egyptian....
- EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...