View source for Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria

{{Short description|Head of the Coptic Church from 1959 to 1971}}
{{hatnote|This article uses dates and years written in the [[Coptic calendar]], using the A.M. ([[Anno Martyrum]]) calendar era, in addition to the [[Gregorian calendar]], using the A.D. ([[Anno Domini]]) calendar era.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = Pope Saint
| name = Cyril (Kyrillos) VI
| native_name = 
| honorific-suffix = 
| title = [[Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark]]
| image = Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria.jpg
| caption = 
| enthroned = 2 [[Pashons]] 1675<br>(10 May 1959)
| ended = 30 [[Meshir]] 1687<br>(9 March 1971)
| predecessor = [[Pope Joseph II of Alexandria|Joseph II]]
| successor = [[Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria|Shenouda III]]
| monastic tonsure = 
| ordination = 
| consecration = 
| other_post = 
| birth_name = Azer Youssef Atta
| birth_date = 26 [[Epip]] 1618<br>({{birth date|df=yes|1902|08|02}})
| birth_place = [[Damanhur|Damanhour]], [[Khedivate of Egypt|Egypt]]
| death_date = 30 [[Meshir]] 1687<br>{{death date and age|1971|3|9|1902|8|2}}
| feast_day = 30 [[Meshir]]<br>([[Julian Calendar|Julian]]: 24 February)<br>([[Gregorian Calendar|Gregorian]]: 9 March)
| canonized_date = 13 [[Paoni]] 1729 [[Anno Martyrum]]<br>(Julian: 7 June)<br>(Gregorian: 20 June 2013)
| death_place = [[Cairo]], Egypt
| buried = [[Monastery of Saint Mina]], [[Alexandria]], Egypt
| nationality = [[Egyptian people|Egyptian]]
| religion = [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox]]
| residence = 1959–1968 [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya)]]
1968–1971 [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo]]
| parents = 
| spouse = 
| children = 
| alma_mater = 
| signature = 
|venerated =[[Oriental Orthodox Christianity]]
|patronage = [[Alexandria]]
|shrine= Saint. Mina Monastery, [[Alexandria]], Egypt
|canonized_place= [[Cairo]], Egypt
|canonized_by= [[Pope Tawadros II]]
}}
{{Infobox manner of address
| background  = plum
| type        = Papal
| name        = Pope Cyril VI
| image       = [[File:Coptic cross.svg|75px]]
| reference   = [[His Holiness]]
| spoken      = Your Holiness
| religious   = [[Pope (disambiguation)]] and [[Patriarch]]
| posthumous  = Saint
}}
'''Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria''' also called '''Abba Kyrillos VI''', {{langx|cop|'''ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲙⲁϩⲋ̅ ''' }}; (2 August 1902&nbsp;– 9 March 1971; 26 Epip 1618&nbsp;– 30 Meshir 1687) was the [[List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria|116th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark]] from 10 May 1959 (2 Pashons 1675) to his death.

==Early life==
Pope Cyril VI was born as Azer Youssef Atta in [[Damanhur|Damanhour]], [[Egypt]], into a [[Coptic Orthodox]] middle-class family, the son of a deacon. He resigned from a civil service position to become a monk in July 1927 (Paoni–Epip 1643). He passed his probationary period and, on 24 February 1928 (21 Meshir 1644), took his monastic vows at the [[Paromeos Monastery]], assuming the name of Father Mina el-Baramosy (Father Mina of the Paromeos Monastery). He was also known as Father Mina the Elder.

After helping to resolve a conflict between the abbot of El Baramous monastery and some of its elder monks, he requested from [[Pope John XIX of Alexandria]] to live in one of the windmills built in Old Cairo during the reign of [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt]]. He spent the start of his time in the windmill with no doors or a roof out of love for solitude. He was then pressured by the priests and an "Archon" (lay-leader) of a nearby church to renovate the windmill in order to be a more suitable environment to live. The ground floor served as a place for Fr Mina to live and the upper level he placed a sanctuary with an altar to pray daily liturgies in. He stayed in the windmill for some time before his relocation to the [[Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor]]. After his death, a church was built around the windmill.

In 1944 he was nominated to become the abbot of the [[Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor]] and played a vital role in building a centre for the [[Monastery of Saint Mina|monastery in El Zawra]], renovating the ancient churches of the monastery and building new monk cells.

In 1947 (1663–1664), Father Mina built the Church of [[Saint Mina]] in [[Cairo]]. He also used to pray in the [[Church of the Holy Virgin (Babylon El-Darag)|Church of the Holy Virgin in Babylon El-Darag]] before assuming the papacy.<ref>[http://www.st-mary-mons.org/ENGLISH/holy_family_in_egypt.htm St Mary Mons] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020324084755/http://www.st-mary-mons.org/english/holy_family_in_egypt.htm |date=24 March 2002 }}</ref>

==Coptic Pope==
[[File:Nasser and Pope Kyrillos VI.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Pope Cyril VI with President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], May 1967]]
Father Mina became [[Coptic Pope|Pope of Alexandria]] on 10 May 1959 (2 Pashons 1675). In accordance with the old Coptic church tradition, Pope Cyril VI was the only [[monk]] in the 20th century A.D./17th century A.M. to be chosen for papacy without having been a [[bishop]] /[[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] first. Before him, there were three [[bishop]]s / [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitans]] who became Popes of Alexandria: [[Pope John XIX of Alexandria|Pope John XIX]] (1928–1942), [[Pope Macarius III of Alexandria|Pope Macarius III]] (1942–1944) and [[Pope Joseph II of Alexandria|Pope Joseph II]] (1946–1956). After him, [[Pope Shenouda III]] was also a bishop before becoming Pope.<ref>History of the Coptic Church, [[Iris Habib Elmasry]] Volume five.</ref>

During his enthronement ceremony, he, through another bishop, addressed the people of the Coptic Church with the following words:<blockquote>But as for you, I hope to open my heart to you, that you might perceive the deep love for all therein; this is the love that emanates from the heart of our Saviour who loved us and redeemed us with His Blood. And so, I beseech all of you to persist in raising prayers for the safety of the Church and for my weakness, and for all the labouring servants.<ref>Kyrillos VI, "Papal Pastoral Letter of Anba Kyrillos" [Al-Risāla al-rā‛wiyya al-bābawiyya lil-anba Kīrillos], Sunday School Magazine 13, no. 4/5 (April/May 1959): 9–11. Translated by Samuel Kaldas and Ramza Bassilious. In Archive of Contemporary Coptic Orthodox Theology, Sydney, NSW: St Cyril's Coptic Orthodox Theological College. https://accot.stcyrils.edu.au/pk6firstpapalmessage/.</ref></blockquote>

In November 1959, he laid the foundation stone of the new [[Monastery of Saint Mina]] in the Desert of [[Lake Mariout|Mariout]].

Cyril's papacy also marked the alleged [[Our Lady of Zeitoun|apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Zeitoun]], Egypt (starting on 2 April 1968/24 [Paremhat 1684]).

The [[Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria|Seat]] of Pope Cyril VI was initially located in [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Azbakeya)|Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in Azbakeya, [[Cairo]]. However, in 1968 he built the [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in Abbasseya, also in Cairo, which replaced it. Its inauguration was attended by Egyptian President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser]], Ethiopian Emperor [[Haile Selassie]], and delegates from most other churches.

In June 1968 (Pashons–Paoni 1684), Pope Cyril received the relics of [[Mark the Evangelist|Saint Mark the Evangelist and Apostle]], which had been taken from Alexandria to [[Venice]] over eleven centuries earlier. The relics were interred beneath the newly completed cathedral.

Pope Cyril died on 9 March 1971 (30 Meshir 1687), after a short illness. His funeral was held in the [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in Abbasseya. He was buried in a temporary tomb under the altar of the cathedral. His body was then relocated according to his will to the [[Monastery of Saint Mina]] in Mariut by [[Pope Shenouda III]] in November 1971. [[Pope Shenouda III]] spoke about his predecessor: "There is no man in all the history of the church like Pope Cyril VI, who was able to pray so many liturgies. He prayed more than 12,000 liturgies. This matter never happened before in the history of the Popes of Alexandria or the world, or even among the monks. He was wondrous in his prayers."{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} On 20 June 2013 (13 Paoni 1729), 42 years after his death, he was canonised as a saint by the [[Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church]], along with Archdeacon [[Habib Girgis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mideasti.blogspot.com/2013/06/coptic-churchs-synod-recognizes-two.html|title=Coptic Church's Synod Recognizes Two Modern Saints|website=Middle East Journal, Editor's Blog|date=30 June 2013|author=Michael Collins Dunn|author-link=Michael Collins Dunn}}</ref>

==Inter-Church relations==
{{See also|Conference of Addis Ababa}}
Pope Cyril VI elevated the Archbishop of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] to the title of [[Patriarch]]-[[Catholicos]]. [[Abuna Basilios]], who was the first [[Ethiopia]]n to be appointed Archbishop of [[Ethiopia]] by [[Pope Joseph II of Alexandria|Pope Joseph II]], became [[Ethiopia]]'s first Patriarch. Pope Cyril VI was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Star of Solomon by Emperor [[Haile Selassie]] in gratitude.

In January 1965 (Koiak–Tobi 1681), Pope Cyril VI presided over the Committee of [[Oriental Orthodox]] Churches in [[Addis Ababa]], the first [[non-Chalcedonian]] [[ecumenical council|ecumenical]] [[synod]] of these churches held in modern times.

==See also==
* [[List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria]]
* [[List of Copts]]
* [[List of Egyptians]]
* [[Battle of Anchem]]

==Further reading==
*Daniel Fanous, ''A Silent Patriarch: Kyrillos VI (1902–1971) Life and Legacy'', St Vladimir's Seminary Press, Yonkers, New York, 2019, pp.&nbsp;418.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://accot.stcyrils.edu.au/kyrillos-vi/ Pope Kyrillos VI | Archive of Contemporary Coptic Orthodox Theology, translated works, primary sources]
* [https://st-takla.org/Pope-Kyrellos-1.html Pope Saint Kyrillos VI]
{{commons|Kyrillos VI}}

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{{s-rel|oo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pope Joseph II of Alexandria|Joseph II]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria|Coptic Pope]]|years=1959–1971}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria|Shenouda III]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Patriarchs of Alexandria}}
{{Coptic saints}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyril 06 of Alexandria, Pope}}
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[[Category:20th-century Christian saints]]
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[[Category:Egyptian hermits]]
[[Category:Oriental Orthodox monks]]
[[Category:20th-century popes of the Coptic Orthodox Church]]
[[Category:20th-century Christian monks]]