• 08:29
  • Tuesday ,04 March 2014
العربية

When spiritual leadership is separated from the People

Michel Fahmy

Article Of The Day

00:03

Tuesday ,04 March 2014

When spiritual leadership is separated from the People

Does Pope Tawadros know that martyrdom in Christianity is a Golden Bridge or short cut to eternal life? Recently, 7 Coptic Christians have been killed execution style by Ansar al- Sharia group in Libya. Thus, they have indeed won crowns of martyrdom and got higher rank in heaven than the saints and all members of the Holy Synod.

Human conscience and the whole world had denounced the heinous crime, but the spiritual leaders of the Coptic Christian people did not move a muscle! Many people expected His Holiness Pope Tawadros II to hold a press conference to denounce the terrorist attack and call the whole world to support the suffering Christians in Egypt and all over the world; however, it seemed he had more important staff to do! 
 
Before he officially takes his office, Egypt's Prime Minister went to the Pope to offer his condolences. Therefore, the Pope was expected to hold official funeral for the martyrs, and deliver powerful sermon about martyrdom in Christianity. However, none of this happened!
 
Furthermore, the weekly sermon of the Pope happened to be at the same time their funeral in Suhag was held. Many Christian TV channels rushed to air his sermon that was far from martyrdom, and only remembered the martyrs at the end of his sermon by few words to offer his condolences to families of the martyrs. Only CTV channel was concerned to air the funeral!
 
Any security reasons should not prevent the Pope from being with his children at such critical moment. Furthermore, Christianity tells us to mourn with those who mourn. Moreover, such security reasons don't prevent the Pope from delivering his sermon about martyrdom and its great value in Christianity. Indeed, an explanation is needed!