Pope John V of Alexandria
Encyclopedia
Pope John V of Alexandria was the 72nd Coptic
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark (25 August 1147 - 29 April 1166).
He was initially a monk in the Monastery of Saint John the Dwarf in Scetes. He was enthroned as a Pope of Alexandria on the second day of Pi Kogi Enavot
, 863 A.M. (25 August 1147).
During his papacy, the Copts were persecuted by the Muslim
governors and Caliph
s. Many were killed and sold as slaves. Several churches in Cairo
, such as the church of Saint Menas
in Haret El Room and the church of El-Zohari, were plundered and destroyed. They were later rebuilt by the Coptic layman Abu El-Fakhr Salib Ibn Mikhail. It was also at this time (1164 AD) that Saint Bashnouna
was killed by the Muslim
s.
According to the History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria
, the Emperor of Ethiopia
wrote to John in 1152 for a new abuna
or Metropolitan
, because Abuna Mikael was too old; his request was denied. Although the name of the Emperor was not recorded, the scholar Carlo Conti Rossini identified him as Mara Takla Haymanot
, arguing from this exchange that the true reason a new abuna was wanted was that Abuna Mikael refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new Zagwe Dynasty
. Pope John denied this request and was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for two weeks during the reign of the Fatimid caliph
Al-Zafir
.
During John's papacy, the expression Life-giving was added to the liturgical confession, which became: This is the Life-giving Flesh that Thine Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, took from our Lady ....
Pope John V died on 4 Pashons
, 882 A.M. (29 April 1166 AD) after 18 years, 8 months, and 4 days on the Throne of Saint Mark.
Coptic Christianity
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt and the Middle East. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different...
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark (25 August 1147 - 29 April 1166).
He was initially a monk in the Monastery of Saint John the Dwarf in Scetes. He was enthroned as a Pope of Alexandria on the second day of Pi Kogi Enavot
Pi Kogi Enavot
Pi Kogi Enavot , also known as El Nasii, is the thirteenth and last month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between September 6 and September 10 of the Gregorian calendar. That month is also incorporated in the Season of 'Shemu' in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout...
, 863 A.M. (25 August 1147).
During his papacy, the Copts were persecuted by the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
governors and Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
s. Many were killed and sold as slaves. Several churches in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, such as the church of Saint Menas
Saint Menas
Saint Menas , the Martyr and Wonder-worker, is one of the most well-known Egyptian saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are attributed to his intercession and prayers...
in Haret El Room and the church of El-Zohari, were plundered and destroyed. They were later rebuilt by the Coptic layman Abu El-Fakhr Salib Ibn Mikhail. It was also at this time (1164 AD) that Saint Bashnouna
Saint Bashnouna
Saint Bashnouna was an Egyptian saint and martyr.According to his Hagiography, Bashnouna was a monk in the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes. He was arrested by the Fatimid authorities during the caliphate of Al-'Āḍid, and threatened to face death if he were not to convert to Islam....
was killed by the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s.
According to the History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria
History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria
The History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria is a major historical work of the Coptic Church. It is written in Arabic, but draws extensively on Greek and Coptic sources....
, the Emperor of Ethiopia
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
wrote to John in 1152 for a new abuna
Abuna
Also see Leaders of ChristianityAbun is the honorific title used for any bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as well as of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church...
or Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
, because Abuna Mikael was too old; his request was denied. Although the name of the Emperor was not recorded, the scholar Carlo Conti Rossini identified him as Mara Takla Haymanot
Mara Takla Haymanot
Mara Takla Haymanot was Nəgusä nägäst of Ethiopia, and the founder of the Zagwe dynasty. Some King Lists give his name simply as "Mararah", and other King Lists as "Takla Haymanot"....
, arguing from this exchange that the true reason a new abuna was wanted was that Abuna Mikael refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new Zagwe Dynasty
Zagwe dynasty
The Zagwe dynasty was an historical kingdom in present-day Ethiopia. It ruled large parts of the territory from approximately 1137 to 1270, when the last Zagwe King Za-Ilmaknun was killed in battle by the forces of Yekuno Amlak...
. Pope John denied this request and was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for two weeks during the reign of the Fatimid caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Al-Zafir
Al-Zafir
Al-Zafir was a Fatimid imam and caliph from 1149 to 1154, in Cairo. He was considered an imam by the Hafizi Ismaili sect, now extinct, but not by the Mustaali.-See also:*List of rulers of Egypt...
.
During John's papacy, the expression Life-giving was added to the liturgical confession, which became: This is the Life-giving Flesh that Thine Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, took from our Lady ....
Pope John V died on 4 Pashons
Pashons 4 (Coptic Orthodox liturgics)
3 Pashons - Coptic calendar - 5 Pashons-Fixed commemorations:All fixed commemorations below are observed on 4 Pashons by the Coptic Orthodox Church-Saints:*Pope John I of Alexandria , *Pope John V of Alexandria ,...
, 882 A.M. (29 April 1166 AD) after 18 years, 8 months, and 4 days on the Throne of Saint Mark.