CAIRO: A prophecy suggesting that Pope Shenouda would die last Sunday left members of the Egyptian Orthodox Church and the larger Coptic community worried about the authenticity and the source of the rumor. As a result, a committee was formed by the Pope, including a number of close associates, to probe into the source of these allegations, according to a source in a prominent church who requested anonymity. "The committee started questioning a number of Bishops who hold prominent positions in church, said the source, adding that the Pope asked members of the committee to conceal all details with regards to the persons in question. Last week, someone predicted that Pope Shenouda would meet his death on the night of Sunday, Aug. 23. The rumor quickly circulated, adopting different storylines which created a sense of confusion among members of the Coptic community. One of the circulated stories suggested that the Pope had, in fact, died. The following day, Pope Shenouda had to personally meet with some monks and pastors to calm them down and prove that his death is only a rumor. Several media reports tried to get to the bottom of the story, pointing fingers at two people believed to be responsible for propagating the death rumor. The first suspect, according to media reports, is the private secretary of Pope Shenouda, Bishop You'annas. At the time when the rumors started circulating, You'annas was meeting with leaders of the Coptic Diaspora in the US to persuade them to cancel protests planned during President Hosni Mubarak's visit to the White House. The second suspect is believed to be the Pope's accompanying photographer who allegedly sent text messages to members of the press claiming the Pope's death. "It is difficult to trace the origin of the rumor since it has developed different storylines since its eruption, Tharwat Bassily, member of the Coptic Orthodox Community Council, told Daily News Egypt in a phone interview from Chicago. Meanwhile, Naguib Gobraeil, head of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization and close associate to Pope Shenouda, said: "The investigative committee has started questioning high members of the church. When the investigations come to an end, the results will be openly announced and those responsible for propagating the rumors will be held accountable. The circulation of rumors regarding the death of 86-year-old Shenouda sheds light on the question of succession, fueling argument between prominent members of the church as to who would take his place. "What needs investigation is not the case of the rumor but of the frenzy that characterized the church after the rumor circulated, said Kamal Zakher, coordinator of the Community of Secular Copts. "The state of panic reduced the church from a religious institution to one that acts on personal grounds, said Zakher, adding that the rumor revealed internal rifts between some members of the church. "The rumor is just a part of the struggle that exists between members of the church dreaming to succeed the Pope, he added. In its annual meeting this October, the Community of Secular Copts will discuss the 1957 Charter which outlines how the Pope is selected.
