Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria

This article uses dates and years written in the Coptic calendar, using the A.M. (Anno Martyrum) calendar era, in addition to the Gregorian calendar, using the A.D. (Anno Domini) calendar era.

Pope Saint Cyril (Kyrillos) VI
116th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Papacy began	10 May 1959 2 Pashons 1675
Papacy ended	9 March 1971 30 Meshir 1687
Predecessor	Joseph II
Successor	Shenouda III
Personal details
Birth name	Azer Youssef Atta
Born	(1902-08-08)8 August 1902 2 Mesori 1618 Damanhour, Egypt
Died	9 March 1971 30 Meshir 1687 (aged 67) Cairo, Egypt
Buried	Monastery of Saint Mina, Alexandria, Egypt
Nationality	Egyptian
Denomination	Coptic Orthodox Christian
Residence	1959-1968 Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya) 1968-1971 Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo
Sainthood
Feast day	9 March
Canonized	20 June 2013

Papal styles of Pope Cyril VI
Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Pope (disambiguation) and Patriarch
Posthumous style	Saint

Pope St. Cyril VI of Alexandria also called Abba Kyrillos VI, born Azer Youssef Atta (8 August 1902 – 9 March 1971; 2 Mesori 1618 –30 Meshir 1687), 116th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark from 10 May 1959 (2 Pashons 1675) to his death on 9 March 1971 (30 Meshir 1687).

Early life

Pope Cyril VI was born in Damanhour, Egypt, into a Coptic Orthodox family. He resigned a civil service position to become a monk in July 1927 (Paoni–Epip 1643). He passed his probationary period and, on 24 February 1928 (21 Meshir 1644), took his monastic vows at the Paromeos Monastery, assuming the name of Father Mina el-Baramosy (Father Mina of the Paromeos Monastery). He was also known as Father Mina the elder.

In 1947 (1663-1664), Father Mina built the Church of Saint Mina in Cairo. He also used to pray in the Church of the Holy Virgin in Babylon before assuming the papacy.^[1]

Coptic Pope

Pope Cyril VI with President Gamal Abdel Nasser, May 1967 (Parmouti–Pashons 1683)

Father Mina became Pope of Alexandria on 10 May 1959 (2 Pashons 1675). In accordance with the old Coptic church tradition, Pope Cyril VI was the only monk in the 20th century A.D./17th century A.M. to be chosen for papacy without having been a bishop /Metropolitan first. Before him, there were three bishops / Metropolitans who became Popes of Alexandria: Pope John XIX (1928–1942), Pope Macarius III (1942–1944) and Pope Joseph II (1946-1956). After him, Pope Shenouda III was also a bishop before becoming Pope.^[2]

Pope Cyril VI elevated the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church to the title of Patriarch-Catholicos. Abuna Basilios, who was the first Ethiopian to be appointed Archbishop of Ethiopia by Pope Joseph II, became Ethiopia's first Patriarch. Pope Cyril VI was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Star of Solomon by Emperor Haile Selassie in gratitude. In November 1959 he laid the foundation stone of the new Monastery of Saint Mina in the Desert of Mariout.

Pope Cyril VI of Alexanderia in the Ethiopian court

In January 1965 (Koiak–Tobi 1681), Pope Cyril VI presided over the Committee of Oriental Orthodox Churches in Addis Ababa, the first ecumenical and non-Chalcedonian synod of these churches held in modern times.

In June 1968 (Pashons–Paoni 1684), Pope Cyril received the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Apostle, which had been taken from Alexandria to Venice over eleven centuries earlier. The relics were interred beneath the newly completed Cathedral of Saint Mark in Cairo, which was built under Pope Cyril and was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by President Nasser, Emperor Haile Selassie, and delegates from most other churches.

Cyril's papacy also saw marked the Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Zeitoun, Egypt (starting on 2 April 1968/24 Paremhat 1684).^[3][4]

The Seat of Pope Cyril VI was initially located in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya, Cairo. However, during his papacy he built the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abbasseya, also in Cairo, which then became the Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope.

Pope Cyril died on 9 March 1971 (30 Meshir 1687), after a short illness. Pope Shenouda III spoke about his predecessor: "There is no man in all the history of the church like Pope Cyril VI, who was able to pray so many liturgies. He prayed more than 12,000 liturgies. This matter never happened before in the history of the Popes of Alexandria or the world, or even among the monks. He was wondrous in his prayers." On 20 June 2013 (13 Paoni 1729), 42 years after his death, he was canonised as a saint by the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.^[5]

See also

• List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria
• List of Copts
• List of Egyptians
• Battle of Anchem

Notes

References

• Short Bio of Pope St. Kyrillos VI
• Bio of Pope St. Kyrillos VI, long version (Zipped PDF)

External links

• Media related to Coptic Popes of Alexandria at Wikimedia Commons

Popes of Alexandria and Patriarchs of the See of St. Mark
Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark I the Evangelist (founder) Anianus Avilius Kedronos Primus Justus Eumenius Markianos* Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I Cyril I Dioscorus I
Coptic Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agathon John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodore I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II James Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II (AKA Theophanes) Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodolos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Tawadros II (current)
Greek Orthodox Patriarchs (451–present)	Proterius Timothy II Timothy III John I Peter III Athanasius II John II John III Dioscorus II Timothy IV Theodosius I Gainas Paul Zoilus Apollinarius John IV Eulogius Theodore I John V George I Cyrus Peter IV Peter V Peter VI Cosmas I Politianus Eustatius Christopher I Sophronius I Michael I Michael II Christodoulos Eutychius Sophronius II Isaac Job Elias I Arsenius Theophilus II George II Leontius Alexander II John VI Cyril II Sabbas Sophronius III Elias II Eleutherius Mark III* Nicholas I Gregory I Nicholas II Athanasius III Gregory II Gregory III Niphon Mark IV Nicholas III Gregory IV Nicholas IV Athanasius IV Mark V Philotheus Mark VI Gregory V Joachim I Silvester Meletius I Pegas Cyril III Gerasimus I Metrophanes Nicephorus Joannicius Paisius Parthenius I Gerasimus II Samuel Cosmas II Cosmas III Matthew Cyprian Gerasimus III Parthenius II Theophilus III Hierotheus I Artemius Hierotheus II Callinicus Jacob Nicanor Sophronius IV Photius Meletius II Nicholas V Christopher II Nicholas VI Parthenius III Peter VII Theodore II (current)
*Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III. Category Commons

Coptic saints
Theotokos	Our Lady of Zeitoun Our Lady of Assiut Our Lady of Warraq
Seven Archangels	Gabriel Haniel Michael Raguel Raphael Sariel Zadkiel
Patriarchs	Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph
Prophets	Moses Job Samuel David Hosea Amos Micah Joel Obadiah Jonah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Isaiah Jeremiah Baruch Ezekiel Daniel John the Baptist
Apostles	Peter Andrew Bartholomew James, son of Alphaeus James, son of Zebedee John Jude Matthew Matthias Philip Simon Thomas
Evangelists	Matthew Mark Luke John
Disciples	Mary Magdalene Stephen Timothy Titus Philemon Barnabas Apollos Silvanus Priscilla and Aquila Seventy disciples
Martyrs	Abulak Abāmūn of Tarnūt Abanoub Abaskhiron the Soldier Apollonia Catherine Chiaffredo Chrysanthus and Daria Cyrus and John Damian Dasya Demiana Dorothea Felix and Regula Hor, Besoy, and Daydara Maurice Menas Mohrael Protus and Hyacinth Sidhom Bishay Kosheh Martyrs Nag Hammadi massacre 2011 Alexandria bombing 2011 Imbaba Martyrs Maspero Martyrs 2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya
Popes	Abraham Agatho Alexander Anastasius Andronicus Anianus Athanasius Avilius Cyril Cyril VI Demetrius Dioscorus I Matthew I Peter
Bishops	Abadiu of Antinoe Abraam, Bishop of Faiyum Augustine of Hippo Basil of Caesarea Ignatius of Antioch Paphnutius of Thebes St. Psote, Bishop of Ebsay St. Serapion, Bishop of Thmuis
Monks and hermits	Ababius Abdel Messih El-Makari Abib and Apollo Abraham of Farshut Abraham of Scetes Amun Anthony the Great Awgin Bashnouna Forty Nine Elder Martyrs of Scetes Hilarion Isaac of Nineveh Isidore of Pelusium John Climacus John the Dwarf Karas Macarius of Alexandria Macarius of Egypt Mary of Egypt Misael the Anchorite Moses the Black Mother Irini Nilus of Sinai Onuphrius Pachomius the Great Pambo Paphnutius the Ascetic Parsoma Paul of Tammah Paul of Thebes Paul the Simple Pijimi Pishoy Poemen Samuel the Confessor Shenoute Tekle Haymanot Zosimas of Palestine
Other saints	Ambrose Didymus the Blind Euphrosyne Simon the Tanner Verena
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