Abouna Matta El Meskeen

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Fr Matta El-Meskeen (1919-2006)
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Fr Matta El-Meskeen (1919-2006)

Father Matta El Meskeen or Matthew the Poor (20 September 1919 – June 8, 2006) was an Egyptian Coptic Orthodox monk and also the Spiritual Father of 130 monks in the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great in the Wilderness of Scetis, Egypt. He is also a renowned Orthodox theologian, and author of voluminous texts on Biblical exegesis, Ecclesiastical rites, spiritual and theological matters, and much more (181 books, besides hundreds of journal articles).

Father Matta is celebrated by many Copts as a reformer and a prominent figure in recent Coptic history. Alongside two others (Bishop Samuel[1] and Bishop [Now Pope] Shenouda), Father Matta was a candidate for the Patriarchal throne in 1971, following the repose of Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria (Kyrillos VI).

Father Matta was once Pope Shenouda's spiritual father and confessor during the 1950s. Pope Shenouda acknowledges his debt to his teacher, Father Matta El-Meskeen, whom he calls 'my father monk' in the introduction to his book Intelaq Al-Rouh (The Release of the Spirit) [2],[3]. (Father Matta was also the spiritual guide of the late Alexandrian priest Father Bishoy Kamel, a contemporary Coptic Orthodox saint.)

But today, there seems to be some misunderstandings between both leaders and their followers [4],[5],[6],[7], e.g., recently in relation to the concept of theosis (see discussions at [8],[9],[10]), and also regarding Father Matta's position on Mark 16. See: Web site by some of Fr. Matta's proponents, a detailed study about the Mark 16 controversy (Arabic), Pope Shenouda's reply concerning the theological and dogmatic opinions of Fr. Matta: Part 1,Part 2 (Arabic RealAudio; recorded in 1991/2003 - zipped mirror), and HE Metropolitan Bishoy's lecture about Fr Matta: 4 parts zipped together (Arabic Audio; recorded on 18 September 2006).

It is undocumentedly alleged that Father Matta was suspended twice, first by Pope Yousab II in 1955, and then again by Pope Kyrillos VI for nine years from 1960 to 1969 [11] for administrative/"political" (e.g., his book about the 'Church and the State', in which he called for total separation of the two [12],[13]) rather than for any truly theological or core dogmatic issues. However this allegation is not true at all and undocumented. [14]. Some say undocumentedly that what is called the 1960s suspension was because of Father Matta's objection to the Coptic Church signing of the Catholic Declaration of the Innocence of the Jews from the Blood of Christ [15]. But also this allegation is not true and undocumented. The saintly Pope Kyrillos VI later insisted that Father Matta absolve and forgive him in the presence of H.E. Metropolitan Mikhail of Assiut.

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[edit] Early life

Father Matta El Meskeen was born Youssef Eskander in Benha, elKaliobia, Egypt, in 1919. (One source says he was born in Damanhour, Egypt [16].) In 1944, he graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Cairo. After leading a successful life and establishing a wealthy lifestyle for himself--Eskander at the time was the owner of two pharmacies, two villas, and two cars--he renounced his material possessions in 1948, and entered the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor in Qualmun (roughly near Maghagha, Upper Egypt). In 1951, he was ordained a priest against his will.

[edit] Monastic life

After living for a few years in the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor in Qualmun, Father Matta decided to move out into Wadi El Rayan in the late 1950s. There, he lived as a recluse in the spirit of the ancient Desert Fathers for twelve years. By 1960, seven other monks joined him. The community expanded to twelve by 1964. These twelve monks were sent by Pope Kyrillos VI to Wadi El Natroun in 1969 to develop the monastery of St. Macarius the Great. At that time only six elderly, frail fathers lived near the road between Cairo and Alexandria. Matta and his twelve companions cared for them while reconstructing the monastery. The administrative, agricultural, institutional, and printing/publishing developments at the renewed Monastery of St. Macarius the Great were staggering. But the spiritual revolution was much greater. By 1981 Matta had over eighty monks in the monastery [17],[18]. The monastery also finances services and projects for the poor, Muslims and Christians alike [19].

[edit] Quotes

"Whenever physical hunger turned cruel against me, I found my gratification in prayer. Whenever the biting cold of winter was unkind to me, I found my warmth in prayer. Whenever people were harsh to me (and their harshness was severe indeed) I found my comfort in prayer. In short, prayer became my food and my drink, my outfit and my armor, whether by night or by day." --Father Matta El-Meskeen
"It is no joy for the church to have many active members of varied services who lack the spiritual proficiency for renewing souls and regenerating them in a genuine spiritual rebirth to win them for the Kingdom of Heaven. The true joy of the Church lies in leaders who possess spiritual insight, who walk ahead of their flocks so that the flocks can follow a sure path. It is not possible to obtain spiritual insight by action or study, spiritual insight is attained by silence, retreat and long prayers in their various stages." --Father Matta El-Meskeen
"I felt I was late to come to the knowledge of Christ; studying the Bible appeared such a daunting task. In desperation, I asked the Lord to give me either a long life to have enough time to study the Bible well, or enough wisdom to grasp its hidden meanings. In His everlasting generosity, God gave me both." --Father Matta El-Meskeen
When asked why he never defended himself against the many accusations regarding some of his writings, Father Matta El-Meskeen replied, "Did you read the Exposition of the Gospel of John and benefit from it? ... My son I won't spend my time replying to anyone, but, my son, I will die and they will die and the Church will remain, as well as what we offered to her, and the next generations will judge us."[20] (The Gospel of the day of his departure (June 8, 2006) according to the Coptic Lectionary was John 15:17-25.)

[edit] Further reading

In Vol.27, No. 3 & 4, Fall & Winter 2006 of Coptic Church Review, there is an important article by Rev. Dr. John Watson, who lives in Highclisse, Dorset, UK. It is in 27 pages and its title is "Abouna Matta El Meskeen Contemporary Desert Mystic". Coptic Church Review is published by Society of Coptic Church Studies, P.O. Box 714, E. Brunswick, NJ 08816, USA. The article is also available in microfilm format from University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA.

[edit] External links

[edit] Photos

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