The agreed title of a production of a biography TV series about the life of the late Pope Shenouda III is Pope of the Arabs. I want to say that the title ‘Pope of the Arabs’ is not worthy of the prestige and majesty of the great Holy See. The Arabs have never had a Pope!
I wonder if the name came from inside the church or from outside just to prove some proposal by political party or another organization. I am sure that such TV series would stress the importance of the national role of the Pope as head of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The title may have come from inside the church as a pure flirtation and appeasement and to give better situation for the suffering Copts facing extremism of the Salafist current. Do they think that such title will find acceptance for example in Morocco or just in the Gulf countries!
The title also points out to how the script will process the ideas in a political context away from Pope’s pastoral care and spiritual part. Pope’s life has been full of incidents, but I hope they will be honest in telling the story. I still see that the title of Pope of the Arabs doesn’t represent St. Mark’s See as it doesn’t bring pride or joy for the Arabs.
