God bless the soul of Saint Archidacon Habib Girgis, founder of Sunday schools and the modern seminary College. He was a deacon who wasn t seen throughout his life wearing the clerical garment though he was a great saint and professor. This is the opposite of what few deacons did in the Diaspora.
The new deacons are priesthood dreamers who admire appearing with the bishops, but grew their beards and put the clerical garments on. Their appearance confuses the children who kiss their hands thinking they are priests.
There have always been rules to choose priests and deacons whom should dedicate their whole time to the ministry, but today they can work as part-time priests and deacons! We do believe in development of religious discourse, but not against the faith and old rituals. They cancel several hymns and ignore the Coptic language in the Holy Mass and refuse to use the spoon (Mastir) during taking the communion in the pretext of avoiding transferring diseases!
I call the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church to save the faith before the day comes when those new priests and deacons will call to wear civil clothes instead of the clerical garments and return to their work after offering their services. They may also call on priests to wear gloves to protect their hands from germs. Such ideas will destroy the Coptic faith and remove its Coptic identity.
This comes at a time when our Coptic Church is demanding the registration of the priests garments by the Egyptian government so that no one can claim to be a priest. Garments of the deacons should have different color just like monks have different color than monasticism seekers. This should have strict rules in order to restore trust of the congregation in the clergy.
