Pope Macarius III of Alexandria

Papal styles of Saint Macarius III
Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Pope and Patriarch
Posthumous style	Saint

Pope Macarius III of Alexandria (Abba Macari III), 114th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.

Before becoming a Pope he was the Metropolitan of Asyut in Egypt. He is the second Metropolitan to become a Pope in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The first Metropolitan to become a Pope was Pope John XIX ^[1]

Due to him accepting the post there was a disagreement between him and Habib Elmasry who was the secretary of the General Congregation Council (Elmagles Elmelly Ela'am) of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria at some stage. Mr Elmasry was the father of the Coptic historian Iris Habib Elmasry and she had documented these incidents in her book about the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church.^[1]

During his pontificate, he did not ordain any Bishop or Metropolitan and this was taken as a symbol of his regret to accepting the position of the Pope of Alexandria despite being a Metropolitan beforehand.^[1]

He issued a historic document on 22 February 1944, its primary purpose was to repair monasteries and update the monks scientifically and spiritually, and to hold monastery heads accountable. This led to a major split between the Holy Synod and General Congregation Council (Elmagles Elmelly Ela'am). On 7 June 1944, the Holy Synod submitted an appeal to the Pope and to the Minister of Justice on the personal status law for non-Muslims Egyptians, because it destroyed a law of the Coptic Church also affects secrets of the mysteries of the church and two sacrament, that of marriage and priesthood. This conflict continued for a while and The Holy Synod and General Congregation Council could not be reconciled. Pope Macarius failed to reconcile them, and abandon the capital headquarters and went into exile in Helwan. He later went to the Eastern monasteries accompanied by bishops and settled in Monastery of Saint Anthony in the Red Sea. then to the Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite. These incidents were painful among the Coptic people. When the Prime Minister learned of this matter, he worked on resolving the issue, and the Pope returned from the monastery and was received by the people in a great celebration.

See also

• Patriarch of Alexandria
• Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
• The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
• List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria
• Oriental Orthodoxy
• Christianity in Africa
• Eastern Orthodoxy
• Egypt

References

1. 1 2 3 History of the Coptic Church, Iris Habib Elmasry

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