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Head of the Coptic Church from 1587 to 1603
Pope Gabriel VIII of Alexandria
was the
97th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
.
Gabriel VIII was originally from Meer,
Egypt
and his
lay name
was Shenouda. He became a monk in the
Monastery of Saint Pishoy
in
Scetes
and was ordained on Sunday, 16
Paoni
, 1303 A.M. (June 20, 1587 AD). Avva Zacharias, Bishop of
Jerusalem
, and Avva Kyrellos El-Khiami led Gabriel's consecration in the
Church of Saint Mercurius
in
Old Cairo
. At the time of his ordination the
Copts
were divided, and they chose for themselves four different patriarchs. Gabriel's papacy was later accepted by the Coptic community. He was contemporary of the
Ottoman
Sultan
Ahmed I
.
During his papacy, Gabriel VIII decreed that the
Fast of the Apostles
must start on 21
Paoni
and end on 5
Epip
, and that
Advent
must start on the first of
Koiak
. He also suppressed the
Fast of Jonah
, and allowed the
Fast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
to be optional. The
Copts
at the time accepted these decisions, but the fasts were reinstituted after his death.
Gabriel VIII died on
9 Pashons
, 1319 A.M. (May 14, 1603 AD) in the
Syrian Monastery
. He occupied the Throne of
Saint Mark
for 15 years, 10 month, and 24 days.
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