A Coptic Christian monk who was convicted over the 2018 killing of the head of an ancient Egyptian desert monastery has been hanged. Bishop Epiphanius was found bludgeoned to death in July 2018 at Saint Macarius monastery in the Western Desert.
Another monk convicted for his role in the crime was sentenced to life in prison.The case shocked Egypt’s Coptic community, the largest Christian minority in the Middle East. The monks, Wael al-SaadTawadros and RemonRasmi Mansour, were said to have killed the abbot of the monastery in the plains of Wadi al-Natrun, north-west of Cairo, because of unspecified “differences”.BishopEpiphanius was found bludgeoned to death in July 2018 at Saint Macarius monastery in the Western Desert.
Another monk convicted for his role in the crime was sentenced to life in prison. The case shocked Egypt’s Coptic community, the largest Christian minority in the Middle East. The monks, Wael al-SaadTawadros and RemonRasmi Mansour, were said to have killed the abbot of the monastery in the
plains of Wadi al-Natrun, north-west of Cairo, because of unspecified “differences”. Wael al-SaadTawadros – who prosecutors say confessed to bludgeoning the bishop over the head with a steel pipe while the other monk stood guard – was executed on Sunday.
The Coptic Church stopped ordaining new monks for a year as part of measures implemented after the killing. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian church in Egypt. While most Copts live there, the church has about a million members outside the country.
Copts believe that their faith dates back to about AD50, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. The head of the church is called the Pope, and is considered to be the successor of Saint Mark. The current Pope is Tawadros II. BBC
The Ethiopian Herald may 11/2021
