CAIRO: Habib Bibawy, the theology professor who made headlines this week after being excommunicated by the Holy Synod, announced he will contest the decision in the administrative court. Noting that the move constitutes a violation of general freedoms and human rights, Bibawy, who teaches at the University of Indiana in the US, said he was not surprised by the decision to put him on trial in absentia. "It's the same attitude which was adopted by the fascists, the Nazis and the communists in the past and is not fitting for those who practice Christ's teachings, he said. Bibawy, who accuses Pope Shenouda - the highest authority in the Egyptian Coptic Church - of deviating from the teachings of the Orthodox Church, was dismissed in the 80s from the faculty of the Cairo-based Clerical College for advocating what Pope Shenouda describes as ideas deviating from Orthodox teachings. Bishop Bishoy, secretary of the Holy Synod, says Bibawy's teachings imbue the saints with divine qualities, which the Pope considers heresy. Bibawy had claimed that both Pope Shenouda and Bishop Bishoy do not represent Orthodox teachings in their purest forms. He accused them of incorporating customs, common convention and the theology of Europe's Middle Ages into their doctrine. Observers questioned whether the Synod's decision came in retaliation to Bibawy's criticism of the Pope. Al-Masry Al-Youm columnist Magdy Mehanna voiced fears that any criticism directed at the Pope will be confused as criticism of the Church. Bishop Murqos, the Church spokesperson, said any misguided envious accusations don't just target the Pope in person but the Church as a whole. "The decision was unanimous, said Bishop Bishoy, referring to the vote by 66 members of the Synod who supported Bibawy's excommunication; and to their subsequent petition refuting his claims that Shenouda's teachings depart from those of the forefathers. Before the Holy Synod's meeting, Bibawy called upon the member bishops "to search for the truth regardless of the price and not to be carried away by emotions. Bibawy said he would accept the ruling of a neutral committee. He had demanded that a judicial committee, including Judges Awni Barsoum and Tarek El Bishry, should examine the videotapes, which, according to Bishop Bishoy, are evidence that Bibawy insulted Egypt. The tapes reportedly contained footage of Bibawy's lectures in the 80s. Bibawy also demanded that another church committee should investigate the dispute. He suggested that the new committee include specialists in church history and Orthodox theology. He said that representatives of the Greek Church and the priests of Abu Maqar Monastery, who follow the teachings of the late Father Matta El Meskein, should also be part of the committee. Bibawy's teachings are allegedly influenced by those of the controversial Father Matta. But Bishop Bishoy refused to comment on whether Matta's followers will suffer Bibawy's fate. "But everyone should start watching what he says and should know that he will be held accountable, Bishop Bishoy said. The dispute between Bibawy and Pope Shenouda reflects long-running ideological differences. On the one hand, Father Matta, who died last year, called for church reform through a return to the teachings of the early forefathers. His followers believe that the church has been infiltrated by foreign teachings that have separated the church from society and inculcated the authoritarianism of the clergy. On the other hand Pope Shenouda believes these ideas are a deviation from Orthodox teachings. "The accusations hurled at Bibawy target the ideology of Father Matta. But the church was unable to take him to task because of his popularity, said Kamal Zakher, a leading Coptic secularist. "And so they decided to put his ideas on trial through Bibawy. Zakher had warned against Bishop Bishoy's confrontational attitude, which, he says is sensationalist. This, Zakher added, could lead to more defections from the Coptic Orthodox Church, especially if the decision to excommunicated Bibawy is upheld. At a later meeting attended by 5,000 Copts, Pope Shenouda said there are no divisions within the church. He emphasized that all the Coptic bishops and priests in Egypt and abroad sent letters supporting the Holy Synod's ruling, but did not explain the reasons behind it. Bishop Murqos, the Church spokesperson, rejected Zakher's suggestion to publicly debate the issue through a panel discussion.
