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Gianluigi Guercia / AFP - Getty Images
Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope Shenouda III out of Saint Mark's cathedral during his funeral service in Cairo on Tuesday.
CAIRO – Thousands of mourners dressed in black gathered in Cairo on Tuesday for the funeral of Egypt's Orthodox Christian Pope Shenouda, who was revered my millions throughout the country as a leader for all Egyptians.
Copts felt like "they were nobodies" after Shenouda's death, mourner Mina Hany Naeem, 17, told NBC News.
"With him I felt like I was wearing white and everyone looked at me, and without him I feel naked and everyone is looking at me," he said. "When he was Pope nobody ever said Muslim and Christian – we were all Egyptians."
Shenouda, who died on Saturday at age 88, promoted religious harmony, winning respect among the Muslim majority, but his last years witnessed a growth in sectarian tension that worsened with the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak last year.
"Pope Shenouda was a father to us all, to all Arabs, a very patriotic person," mourner Saber Farag Saleh, a 50-year-old construction engineer, told NBC News. "He protected us from divisions. He taught us to love the other and all religions."
Taha Belal / NBC News
"The Pope was loved by everyone, we were all nobodies without him," Mina Hany Naeen, a 17-year-old student, told NBC in Cairo on Tuesday.
Religious figures from several countries, including a Catholic delegation from the Vatican, and foreign ambassadors massed in the Orthodox Cathedral as long-bearded Coptic priests wearing bulbous black miters prayed over Shenouda's body lying in an open coffin, a golden miter upon his head and a gold-tipped staff in his hand.
Christians gather to bid farewell to Egypt's Pope Shenouda III
A delegation from the ruling military council and several candidates for Egypt's upcoming presidential elections attended the funeral. Security was tight, with dozens of police and army trucks scattered around the cathedral and plainclothes police posted on bridges and in streets nearby.
The prayers were led by Bishop Bakhomious, head of the church of Bahaira, a district in the Nile Delta north of Cairo, who will temporally hold the post of pope for two months until a new leader is elected.
'Fix all problems with prayer'
Some mourners worried who would follow Shenouda, who spent his final years trying to comfort a community disturbed by the rise of political Islam.
"It's a big loss, he looked after us all, it's a big loss for all Christians and Muslims," teacher Jaqueleen Mikhail, 25, told NBC News. "Nobody will ever be like the Pope Shenouda, he was humble and full of love and wise. He would fix all problems with prayer."
Egypt has seen less of the religious violence and discrimination that prompted members of ancient Christian communities to migrate from Iraq and other Arab countries.
But Coptic Christians, who comprise about a tenth of Egypt's 80 million people, have long complained of discrimination and in the past year stepped up protests, which included calls for new rules that would make it as easy to build a church as a mosque.
Taha Belal / NBC News
"Pope Shenouda was a father to us all, to all Arabs, a very patriotic person," mourner Saber Farag Saleh, a 50-year-old construction engineer, told NBC News in Cairo on Tuesday.
Shenouda strongly opposed Islamic militancy but strove to quell growing anger among Copts at Islamic extremism, attacks on churches and sectarian clashes often sparked by inter-faith romances and church building permits.
Photo blog: Egypt's Coptic Christians mourn the death of Pope Shenouda III
Many Muslims were among the mourners. He was a familiar figure for generations of Egyptians and Muslim Egyptians respected him as a staunch nationalist, an outspoken critic of Israel and a social conservative.
Dr. Essam Arian, a member of parliament and the deputy of the Freedom and Justice Party (the Muslim Brotherhood's political party) said that he was planning to attend the funeral. "We hope the next pope can continue in the path of reconciliation. History will judge him.”
Sheikh Zachariah Mohammed Marzouq, the second Imam of Al Azhar Mosque, echoed those comments.
“He was a wise man and a national figure.... He managed by his wisdom to dissolve any kind of conflict between the sects of the nation, the Christians and the masses of Muslims," said Marzouq. "He was a man inviting peace and love and brotherhood. We send our condolences to our brothers the Copts on the loss of Pope Shenouda."
Thousands have paid their respects at the cathedral since he died. For much of the time, Shenouda's body was put in a seated position on a ceremonial throne dressed in gold and red embroidered vestments.
On Sunday, the cathedral had to close its doors several times in an attempt to contain the crowds. Two mourners died killed in the crush, medical sources said.
The burial is expected to take place at the Wadi el Natrun monastery in the desert northwest of Cairo, where the late pope had requested he be interred.
NBC News' Charlene Gusbash and Taha Belal, msnbc.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Wish we had more of such inclusive and tolerant religious leaders here in the US... instead of bigoted, bile spewing, fundamentalist, women-hating a**holes.
Like Rev. Jesse Jackson!
Yea..Brother. He was a great man who broke the barriers religious hatred and promoted tolerance for all religions. Christianity was introduced to the egyptians shortly after the ascension of Jesus by Saint Mark. I myself am a buddhist but I find all religions very fasinating and in their own way a journy to enlightenment for those who are true to themselves.
Your comments are so loving,inclusive and delightful to read!Now,take your meds,drink your daily glass of berrie(the bomber) kool-aide and go to bed,you idiot!
My condolences to the Egyptians, who have lost a beloved spiritual leader. Also, my admiration to those who have rejected the path of divisiveness. May you honor his memory by continuing to live by his example. You are an inspiration, as was he.
May we all find peace.
The Main Problem with making christianity believable !
The christians try to solve by saying that the three are one ?
Yaweh (the Creator) sent his Chosen people into the promised land with instructions to kill every man,woman, and child there. The Promised Land was theirs after they did as instructed by Yaweh.
The people that were there were industrious. They had fine houses and bountiful harvests. They were to be slaughtered on the instructions of Yaweh.
This was right after giving the Chosen the Ten Commandments.
Now we come to the all loving hey-Zeus.
Yaweh kicked man out of the Garden so he would Not Have ever-lasting Life.
Hey-Zeus says people live forever. In one of his fathers mansions or in hell.
It just does Not Make Sense. And my ancestors ate from the tree of Knowledge.
Yaweh gave the day to be called the Sabbath.
Told his chosen how He wanted his houses of worship to be. No man made images(pagan images.)
chrstians picked Sunday as the Sabbath (not because hey-Zeus told them to) and worship in houses covered with man made images (and not because hey-Zeus told them to.)
hey-Zeus is made up out of Yeshu'a who told his followers not to take anything Holy before dogs (those people that were not His Chosen).
christians are after your money. can tell if you believe what they say (your ancestors never tasted the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge) and are therefore prime beef for the slaughter.
Wanna know something else that does not make sense?
Your post.
Have you ever heard of a comma?
Flat out oversimplification and no value.
A true viner, BRAVO!!!
BTW I like how you voted for yourself.
Shenouda was a true man of God.
He will be missed.
enoch
I approve what I have posted
I did not know of voting
Have u ever heard of Yeshu'a
notice there is no question mark
RogerBeard, Satan couldn't have said it better himself. Your take on God and his message shows you have missed every point of context and meaning to Gods message or you are deliberate in your errors. I pray for your enlightenment. Pope Shenouda's message and belief was love and brotherhood of all men. All of Gods children. He understood Gods message and you?
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
evil would not said better, you beat Satan rogerbread, and Satan has one place enjoyed with him (hill)
fleckdog and all
I am a servant of Yaweh
And He is not pleased with His Creation
May Pope Shenouda's blessings be with us all. And may we learn how to be a good human in the world from what he taught us Amen.
This story was made to honor Pope Shenouda, let us please have some respect.
No. You only serve yourself Roger. As do most of us.
Gracias
por trabajo
rogerbeard is in a battle with himself, it will be a curious thing to see who wins.
Rogerbeard is an idiot. Pope Shenouda was brilliant man of peace and true grace. He is now in the Kingdom of Heaven , if thats what you beleave in. If not , then he is still one hundred times the man a dope like Dickbeard will ever be.
clod
u kin call me
anthin
except
Collect
or Late For Supper
pray for us front of the lord jesus christ, love you pope shanoda, the pope of peace and love
So maybe not everyone from the Muslim brotherhood is radical?
I like the "freedom and justice party'!Could anyone come up with anything closer in name to the idiots in the democrap party!FREEDOM AND JUSTICE! Sounds like Jessie jackson speech,when you can understand him!"Freedom to raid the public coffers and justice is then in my checking account"!Amen!
Please! Try the "Christian Right" as a party in Egypt and there would be blood in the streets just like there would be here,if anyone attempted to use those, that name!
the adviser of the muslim brotherhood is the last person visited the pope and after that the pope died?
If u swing a dead black cat by its tail
Around ure head ten times
With a Full Moon
And pray to jc
U get the same results
sure , just when you die, your spirit will travel up with Satan and hill waiting for both of you enjoy it
where is satan going Up To
peter, the assasin (scariji) one who carries a knife under his robes
to kill in a crowd and run away
killed two of Yeshu'a followers who had just inherited property
because they would not give it all to Yeshu'a only 10%
and ran off to Rome and became the foundation for the christian church
wrote in his little lying book that god had killed them
In other words he was saying Yaweh killed these two people
because they would not give their inheritance to Yeshu'a
I got some ocean front property in Arizona to sell to you
I don't know what to say, the event is important and has a great implication for millions of people in the Middle East and beyond, but most of your comments are kind of comical and superficial.
I hope you guys are not preparing to run for public office.
this is my teaching from the bible
21Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
And Yaweh sent His Chosen into the Promised Land with instructions to KILL every man, woman, and child there.
The houses you will live in
You did not build
The grapes you harvest
You did not plant.
This was just after giving the Ten Commandments to His Chosen People.
May His Holiness's soul Rest in Peace. May God Bless his Soul.
Kevin Valentine Moraes
Mira Road (Thane)
If we were content to only want what we really need, and nothing more, and exercise the other principles and philosophy of the true believers of the "Golden Rule" of all faiths, there would be no hunger, hatred or human suffering created by man. Do unto others what you would have others do FOR you when in need. Shalom !