Coptic protests over the reported expulsion of a priest presented an occasion for intellectuals to repeat calls for immediate reforms within the Coptic Orthodox Church. Gihan Shahine reports The decision by , patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, not to introduce Anba Kirolos, the Bishop of Nag' Hammadi, to a church tribunal following a public outcry, has sparked debate over whether the world's oldest Coptic Orthodox church might be forced into reforms. More than 1,000 Copts rallied in church in the Upper Egypt village of Nag' Hammadi while scores of other protesters crowded the headquarters of the Abbassiya-based Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, when news spread that Anba Kirolos would be summoned before a church tribunal, where he could be expelled from service, after 12 priests accused the bishop of mismanagement as well as spiritual mistreatment. The protesters appeared particularly upset at Anba Bishoy, the secretary of the Holy Synod and responsible for church tribunals, calling on him to annul the hearing and bring their priest back to his parish. The church was keeping a lid on details, but there was speculation inside Coptic circles that disputes between Anba Bishoy and Anba Kirolos over the past four years may have fuelled the crisis. Several protesters called for a meeting with the pope in support of the bishop while Coptic members of parliament, including MP Fathi Qandil, stepped into the fray to try to settle the dispute. A few hours later, the demonstrators were told Kirolos would return to his parish. Anba Morqos, spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church, would only say he was playing down the protests as no more than spontaneous reaction to a rumour. "People were simply afraid that their father would be expelled, which never actually happened," Morqos told Al-Ahram Weekly. "He [Anba Kirolos] was on a short visit to Cairo and people simply misunderstood his absence and thought he was expelled." Many Coptic analysts, however, would agree with Sameh Fawzi, the managing editor of the Coptic weekly Watani, that the incident has more significance than just public spontaneity. Fawzi insists that the inhabitants of Nag' Hammadi were mobilised and bussed to the cathedral in an organised protest to affect the decision of the church authorities and that Coptic MPs were summoned to settle the dispute, which immediately gained media attention. "This use of public support in the face of internal church decisions is a very dangerous phenomenon. Its recurrence is likely to weaken the church as an institution and impede all attempts at reform," Fawzi cautioned. Copts had previously gone out in massive protests to demonstrate against state decisions but this time, "the danger lies in the fact that street protests are used against church authorities, which is likely to wreak havoc in the future," said Fawzi. More alarming perhaps, said Coptic political thinker Gamal Assaad, is the fact that the church authorities "bowed to such public pressure and retracted an earlier decision to question a priest, which is symptomatic of internal weakness and confusion within the church management". Many analysts say the recent illness of the aging pope has, perhaps, left the door open for a new generation with different views to vie for power and authority inside the church. Assaad attested to the existence of "some groups inside the church who are trying to monopolise administrative decisions." "Anba Bishoy, for one, is known for his authoritarian grip over the church. He exploits the pope's trust in him, personifying conflicts and punishing those in conflict with him." This is not the first incident of the Orthodox Church being mired in internal rifts. Pope Shenouda has reportedly been in conflict with many bishops nationwide. The disputes, says Assaad, led to the unprecedented resignation of the bishop of Mehalla Al-Kobra and the expulsion of the bishops of Luxor and Abu Tesht. The bishop of Samalout has not attended meetings of the holy Synod for 20 years while the bishop of Manfalout has lost authority over half of his parish which is now affiliated to Pope Shenouda. "Anba Bishoy also interferes in the internal affairs of priests' parishes in violation of church regulations," Assaad claimed. The schisms are, perhaps, not the only manifestation of confusion inside the church management, which has also surfaced from the conflicting policies declared over the past few days. Whereas church spokesman Anba Morqos recently called for the removal of a constitutional term which considers Islamic Sharia the only source of legislation in Egypt, on Sunday Pope Shenouda warned Copts not to provoke Muslim sentiments or create sensitivities. Shenouda further called upon Copts not to interfere in legislative reforms and leave the matter to those in charge, a remark which sparked more public outcry especially among the Coptic elite who insist the church should steer clear of politics and focus on its spiritual role. In his book Who should represent Copts: the Pope or the state? Assaad said he made it clear that the pope should not speak in the name of Copts or interfere in political matters and issues of citizenship "in order not to create sectarian rifts". Politics aside, however, Fawzi maintained that "reform is needed anyway since the church system is rigid and stagnant, a normal outcome of an ageing leadership." But reform is also needed when conflicts jump into the dogmatic arena. Pope Shenouda recently accused the priests of the Abu-Maqqar monastery of polytheism in his book Deification of Man which, according to Coptic writer George Habib, implies that the priests are atheists and may be murdered at the hands of extremists. Such an accusation seems to have equally provoked Coptic citizen Tareq Youness Megalli, who recently filed a complaint to the prosecutor-general accusing the pope of "instigating the murder of the priests of Abu Maqqar". "Such theological conflicts immediately take us a century back," Assaad said. They may also explain the emergence of dissenters as Max Michel who recently announced himself the archbishop of a new church, the True Orthodox Christian Church. To meet such challenges, Fawzi suggested the Orthodox Church develop a new mechanism able to address different cultures and mentalities since it now assumes a global role. Those urging reform within the church also call for the regulation of church tribunals, clarifying the Denominational Council's role and a more systematic circulation of power within the clergy's higher ranks. Assaad maintained the church should encourage the participation of secularists in the financial and administrative affairs of the church and accommodate rather than conflict with those who have different views. Anba Morqos says the church is not in need of reform but rather a system upgrade. But unless true reform occurs within the church, Assaad insists the future is dim. "The Coptic Church is likely to grow even weaker in light of current challenges, internal and external rifts and dogmatic conflicts."
