His Holiness Tawadros II, the new pope of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church was enthroned on Sunday, November 18, 2012 in an elaborate ceremony lasting nearly four hours. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was represented at the enthronement ceremony by Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan, Primate of the Diocese of Tavush; Archbishop Ashot Mnatsakanyan, Primate of the Diocese of Egypt; and Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Director of Mother See’s Interchurch Relations.
Following the ceremony, the high-ranking clergymen met with Pope Tawadros II and conveyed to the Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church the congratulatory remarks of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
Pope Tawadros II, 60, was elected Nov. 4, but the official enthronement ceremony was held Sunday at the St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. He replaced Pope Shenouda III, who died in March after leading the ancient church for 40 years.
Egypt’s Christians make up about 10 percent of the nation’s estimated 83 million people, making them the largest single Christian community in the Middle East.
