Pope Shenouda III Funeral: A Tragic Affair

Al Bawaba has been reporting on the tragic death of the Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III the entire week. As he was laid to rest, the blososphere was filled with condolences for the late religious leader.

Pope Shenouda III - A religious leader who was beloved by Christians and Muslims alike.

Egyptian Chronicles [2]

#Funeral:Pope Shenouda III Funeral in Cairo

This passionate Egyptian blogger gives a play-by-play of Pope Shenouda III's funeral. If you wanted to feel like you were there in the procession, have a look. "Thousands of Egyptian Orthodox Christians are standing outside the St.Marks Cathedral. The traffic is blocked there. The Cathedral gates have been closed , some are saying that it was closed because after the Cathedral was full and that you did not need to have invitation to have access in, in fact many of those who had invitations were not let in after the gates were closed."

A Sense of Belonging [3]

Pictures, Video, and Observations from Pope Shenouda’s Funeral

More sights and sounds from the funeral of Pope Shenouda III. "The atmosphere at Pope Shenouda’s funeral today was not what I expected. At first it was dull, and then sympathetically chaotic. Entrance to the church itself could only be secured with a personal invitation, so I made my way early to the courtyard of the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral to witness the swelling throngs."

Jadaliyya [4]

The Church, Maspero, and the Future of the Coptic Community

With the passing of Pope Shenouda III, the Coptic community is suffering from major concerns for its future in Egypt, especially with the growing influence of the Muslim brotherhood. What is next for the Coptic papacy and the Egyptian Christians who follow? "With the passing of Pope Shenouda III, the journalistic shorthand that has emerged in discussing the current situation of Egypt’s Coptic Christians is that the loss has come at a difficult, precarious time for the community."