Special Edition
Bashans 1725 / June 2009
Ordination of Bishop Daniel Bishop of St Shenouda Monastery On the feast of Pentecost, Sunday 7th of June 09, H.H. Pope Shenouda and members of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church have laid their hands on Fr Daniel Al-Antouny to ordain him a bishop of St Shenouda monastery, in Sydney, Australia. H.G. is the first Bishop to be ordained over St Shenouda Monastery and second after the late Bishop Karas of St Anthony’s Monastery in California, to be ordained over a Coptic monastery outside of Egypt. Born in Sudan on October 1952, H.G. Bishop Daniel migrated with his family to Australia in 1970. Finished his high school education in Australia and graduated from an accounting degree. In 1979 he went back to Egypt to be consecrated a monk by the hand of H.H. Pope Shenouda III, at St Anthony Monastery at the red sea. Less than a year later he was ordained a priest then a hegomen and was sent to Australia to serve in Melbourne. Since that time H.G. served all over Australia. In the last thirty years he served in 26 different years in six states, two territories, and the Fiji Islands. In August 2006, he was appointed by H.H. Pope Shenouda to be abbot of St Shenouda Monastery.
Prayer for the ordination of a bishop By: St Hippolytus God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all consolation, you dwell in the heights and look upon the lowly, you know all things before they come to be, you set limits in the church through your word of grace, you foreordained from the beginning a righteous race from Abraham, you established rulers and priests, and have not left your sanctuary without ministers, from the foundation of the world you were well pleased to be glorified in those you have chosen. Even now pour out from yourself the power of the Spirit of governance, which you gave to your beloved child Jesus Christ, which he gave to the holy apostles, who setup the church in every place as your sanctuary, for the unceasing glory and praise of your name. Father, you know the heart; grant that your servant, whom you have chosen for oversight, should shepherd your flock and should serve before you as high priest without blame, serving by night and day, ceaselessly propitiating your countenance and offering the gifts of your holy church. And let him have the power of high priesthood, to forgive sins accord-ing to your command, to assign duties according to your command, to loose every tie according to the power which you gave to the apostles, to please you in gentleness and with a pure heart, offering you the scent of sweetness. Through your child Jesus Christ, through whom be glory and might and honor to you, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and to the ages of the ages Amen. (From: Hippolytus, On The Apostolic Tradition)
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St Ignatius of Antioch Letter to St Polycarp of smyrna Salutation: Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to Polycarp, bishop of the church of the Smyrnaeans (or rather, one who has God the' Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as his bishop), abundant greeting. Welcoming your godly mind which is fixed as on an immovable rock [Matt. 7:24, 25], I glory exceedingly that I was judged worthy of seeing your blameless face, by means of which I would have pleasure in God.
Exhortation to the bishop: I exhort you, by the grace with which you are clothed, to press forward on your course [Acts 20:24] and to exhort all men so that they may be saved. Vindicate your office with all care both fleshly and spiritual. Think upon unity, than which nothing is better. Lift up all men, as the Lord lifts you; put up with all in love, as you actually do [Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13]. Be diligent in unceasing prayers [1 Thess. 5:17]; ask for more understanding than you have; watch with a sleepless spirit. Speak to each individual after the example of God; bear the sicknesses [Matt. 8:17] of all, as a perfect athlete. Where the labor is greatest, the gain is great. If you love good disciples, it is no credit to you [Luke 6:32]; instead, bring the more troublesome into subjection by gentleness. "Not all wounds are healed by the same plaster." "Relieve convulsions by moist applications." "Be prudent as the serpent" in every matter "and sincere as the dove" [Matt. 10:16] always. You are both fleshly and spiritual for this reason, that you may deal gently with what appears before your face; but ask that invisible things may be made manifest to you so that you may lack nothing and abound in every gift of grace. The occasion calls upon you to attain to God, just as pilots seek winds and the storm tossed sailor a harbor. Be sober, as God's athlete; the prize is imperishability and eternal life, as you have already been persuaded. In everything I am devoted to you and my bonds which you loved. Do not let those who seem plausible but teach strange doc-trine buffet you [1Tim. 1:3; 6:3]. Stand firm as a hammered anvil. Great athletes are battered, but yet they win. Especially for God's sake we must endure everything so that he may put up with us [2 Tim. 2: 10]. Be more diligent than you are. Un-derstand the times [Matt. 16:2, 3].
The duties of the Smyrnaean Christians: Pay attention to the bishop so that God will pay attention to you. I am devoted to those Page 3
who are subject to the bishop, presbyters, and deacons; and may it turn out for me that I have a portion with them in God. Labor together with one another, strive together, run together, suffer together, rest together, rise up together as God's stewards and assistants and servants [Titus 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:9; 4:1; I Pet. 4:10]. Be pleasing to him for whom you are soldiers, him from whom you will receive your pay [2 Tim. 2:4]. None of you must be a deserter. Let your baptism serve as a shield, faith as a helmet, love as a spear, endurance as full armor [Eph. 6:11-17]. Your works are your deposits so that you may receive the full sum due you. There-fore be patient with one another in gentleness, as God is with you. May I always have joy in you. (From: Jack N. Sparks, The Apostolic Fathers: Modern translation of early Christian writings.)
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The Monks of the Monastery extend their congratulations to our Father H.G. Bishop Daniel on his ordination
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SPIRITUAL, ASCETIC, AND PRAGMATIC AUTHORITY of Bishops in Late Antiquity By: Claudia Rapp The authority of the bishop is a multifaceted and ever changing construct that continued to change as individuals adapted, necessity dictated, and cir-cumstances permitted. The office itself underwent a process of growth and change over time during which certain aspects and tasks gained in importance, while others receded into the shadows. The main components that define Episcopal authority, however, remained the same. What changed was the relative weight of these compo-nents, or the way in which they were combined. In order to facilitate the understanding of the role of bishops in late antiquity, I wish to introduce the following three categories: spiritual authority, ascetic authority, and pragmatic authority. Spiritual authority indicates that its bearer has received the Spirit from God. Spiritual authority has its source outside the individual. It is given by God, as a gift. Spiritual authority is personal. It is given directly to a specific individual, without personal participation or preparation by its recipient. Finally, spiritual authority is self sufficient. It can exist in the individual independent of its recognition by others. In highlighting the concept of spir-itual authority, I follow the lead of the Christian writers of the later Roman Empire who acknowledged God as the source of all gifts of the spirit. The public recognition of charismatic abilities is encompassed in what I call ascetic authority. Ascetic authority derives its name from askesis, meaning "practice." It has its source in the personal efforts of the individual. It is achieved by subduing the body and by practicing virtuous behavior. These efforts are centered on the self, in the hopes of attaining a certain ideal of personal perfection. Ascetic authority is accessible to all Anyone who chooses to do so can engage in the requisite practices. Finally, ascetic authority is visible. It depends on recognition by others, as it is made evident in the individual', appearance, lifestyle, and conduct. The third member of this triad, pragmatic authority, is based on actions (from pratto, meaning "to do"). It arises from the actions of the individual, but in distinction from ascetic authority, these actions are directed not toward the shaping of the self, but to the benefit of others. Access to prag-matic authority is restricted. Its achievement depends on the individual's ability, in terms of social position and wealth, to perform these actions. Pragmatic authority is always public. The actions are carried out in frill public view. The recognition of pragmatic authority by others depends on the extent and success of the actions that are undertaken on their behalf. Page 6
These definitions are, of course, schematic and serve merely to isolate the most important distinctions between the three types of authority. The usefulness of this tripartite scheme lies in the fact that it accords a special place of relevance to ascetic authority as the vital link to the other two. The per-sonal practice of asceticism prepares the individual for the receipt of the gifts of the spirit, and thus of spiritual authority, from God. Since ascetic authority is founded on the regulation of lifestyle and behavior, this is a path open to all. In fact, it is the only path by which an individual can hope to bring down God's grace on his or her own initiative. Yet at the same time, asceticism is a gauge of the presence of spiritual authority. Nobody can walk the difficult and thorny road of ever more demanding ascetic practices unless he or she receives the help of God. To observers and bystanders, ascetic accomplishments are thus the outward face of spiritual authority. In other words, ascetic authority is simultaneously the humanly and freely accessible precondition for spiritual authority and its openly visible confirmation. At the same time, ascetic authority is also the motivation and legitimating of pragmatic authority. This feature is essential to the understanding of the public activities of bishops in late antiquity. It allows us to perceive a crucial distinction between bishops and civic leaders. Bishops are always held to a higher code of conduct, and their ability to exercise leadership is condi-tional on their adherence to that code. In contrast to civic leaders, the bishops' pragmatic actions on behalf of the community are considered to be a manifestation of their ascetic authority, so much so that the successful exercise of the former is believed to be a direct consequence of the latter. The emphasis on the ascetic component distinguishes this model from previous work on the authority of bishops, while the identification of prag-matic authority as an independent component facilitates the study of the public role of holy men. The combination of these three kinds of authority spiritual, ascetic, and pragmatic provides the analytical tools that allow the study of bishops and holy men within the same cultural, religious, social, and political context. (From Claudia Rapp, Holy Bishops in Late Antiquity.)
A bishop must belong to everyone and bear everyone's burdens. A bishop is lia ble to anyone's verdict, open to the judgment of all, of the wise and the foolish. St. John Chrysostom
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Question & Answer Why do we address Bishops as Rabbi “My lord”? While we have one Lord God. Who said: "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren”. (Mat 23:8) The Lord Jesus uttered these words to criticise the pride of the pharisees and the scribes. (Mat 23:6-8) "They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' "But you do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. By saying the above verse, Jesus wanted to abolish the leadership and control of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were focused on self glory in preparation for the new church leadership. He said this to His disciples only and not to the general public. He commanded His disciples not to call anyone father or teacher since the disciples and their successors were to become the fathers and teachers of all. The lordship and superiority of the priesthood does not contradict humility “For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quicktempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money” (Titus 1:7) Hence the lordship is for the purpose of order in the church and it not a form of suppression of others as was the case with the Scribes and the Pharisees. (From: H.H. Pope Shenouda, On Priesthood)
My friends, you should be made aware of this fact: the bishop is in the Church, and the Church is in the bishop; and if anyone is not with the bishop, then he is not in the Church. St. Cyprian
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