9th Holy Synod Seminar

The Coptic Church’s Social Role

The 9th Seminar for Holy Synod Members was hold on “The Coptic Church’s Social Role” from Wednesday, November 16th to Saturday, November 19th, 2022 at the LOGOS Center at the Papal Residence at St. Bishoy’s Monastery, in the presence and patronage of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, Bishop Danial (Maadi), Holy Synod Secretary and the presence of 116 of Holy Synod Members.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II started the Ninth Seminar of the Holy Synod. The Seminar discussed “The Coptic Church’s Social Role”.

His Holiness delivered a lecture during the opening session which was attended by a hundred and five members of the Holy Synod.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II discussed in his lecture five features that should characterise the social role of the Church to be effective, and they are:

1- Renewing of the minds: reviewing our thoughts and continuously developing them

2- Assessing the place and time: to assess the needs of our society based on the place and time. His Holiness then mentioned the verse: “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” (Matthew 9:35), taking our Lord Jesus as our example in preaching in cities.

3- Planning to build: the importance of having a plan to build and develop our works.

4- Preparing and perfecting: good choice of the different components, proper preparation and the respect of specialisation. His Holiness then mentioned the saying “We thought that wealth is within the earth, but we then discovered that it is within the academic classrooms”.

5- Liberty: liberation when using our energies in different field.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II emphasized the importance of the social role of the Church and that it comes right after the spiritual role of the church which is preparing us to Eternity.

His Holiness referred to the Biblical principle “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” (John 6:12), explaining that gathering up the fragments refer to taking care of others in all aspects of weakness, health wise, financially, emotionally, etc.

During the second session, a documentation was presented about the World’s Youth Forum that was held in August for the youth from different Dioceses. The session also included the final concluding recommendations of last year’s seminar. This was followed by a presentation foster care, which is also referred to as alternative care…

This news was originally published on the Coptic Orthodox website. Please click here to read the full text.