by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Around the world, the Coptic community, scholars of Coptology, and the ecumenical community are reeling over the violent murder of His Grace Bishop Epiphanius, the abbot of the Monastery of St. Macarius. That a monastery would be the site of a homicide like this is beyond reason. That the victim of the homicide would be a man as gentle and humble as Bishop Epiphanius is beyond comprehension.

So many people who have known Bishop Epiphanius will attest to his work as a great scholar, but also to his gentleness and humility. Photos of him show his kind smile and quiet demeanor. It is hard to believe any motive that would target this righteous man; right now there are more questions than answers. His murder is troubling to many, even those who do not know him personally.

Yet Bishop Epiphanius follows in the footsteps of many desert fathers before him.  The Monastery of St. Macarius itself houses the relics of the 49 Martyrs, the Elders of Sheheet (Scetis). These elders received the crown of martyrdom when the Berbers invaded their monastery during the Berber invasion in 444. You can read their entire story, including how their relics arrived at St. Macarius monastery, here.

The drawbridge leading into the monastery fortress at St. Macarius Monastery, Scetis, Egypt. (c) Phoebe Farag 2016

It was due to the Berbers and other marauders that these ancient monastic communities in Egypt live behind great walls and even have fortresses inside them for the monks and residents of neighboring towns to escape into if there was an attack. As recently as two years ago, even Egyptian Security Forces have taken refuge behind monastery walls. I took a tour of this fortress at St. Macarius Monastery with my children two years ago. The rooms and storerooms had long been converted to chapels for prayer when the threat of invasion ended. Most people now visit the monasteries to take a short refuge from the daily assaults of the world—the trials and tribulations of life.

A list of the names of the 49 Martyrs of Sheheet, St. Macarius Monastery, Scetis, Egypt. (c) Phoebe Farag 2016

Since its inception, monasticism has always been linked to martyrdom. It began to flourish soon after the Great Persecution of Christians ended in the third century. Christians, no longer facing possible bloodshed for their beliefs, took to the desert instead to die to the world. Monasticism became known as the “white martyrdom,” a daily dying for Christ.

And so Bishop Epiphanius follows in the footsteps of many before him. He had already joined the “white martyrdom,” setting aside the world and dedicating his life to prayer, community life, and scholarly work for the Church. That his martyrdom went from white to red is a loss for all of us, but a path that he had already begun when he took his vows of monasticism.

Some words of wisdom from this great soul:

One of the bretheren asked HG Anba Epiphanius, “How do we discern a false thought and how not allow it to deceive our heart?”

Our Father Abba Epiphanius answered, “Every thought which leads to more love is a holy thought. Every thought that leads to being more firmly rooted in Christ is a holy thought. Every thought that creates jealousy or envy between me and my brother is a false and deceptive one. Let us, then, make love the strainer over which we filter all our thoughts. This will protect us from the war of the enemy. But the war is inevitably coming. Let us prepare for it. (Translation courtesy of Candace Lukasik)

May the Lord repose his soul and may his prayers be with us.

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