Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria

Pope

Benjamin II of Alexandria
Pope; Benjamin II of Alexandria
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Papacy began	10 May 1327 AD
Papacy ended	6 Jan 1339 AD
Predecessor	John IX
Successor	Peter V
Orders
Ordination	10 May 1327 AD
Consecration	10 May 1327 AD
Personal details
Born	Benjamin; Egypt
Died	6 Jan 1339 AD; Egypt
Buried	Shahran Monastery
Denomination	Coptic Orthodox Christian
Residence	Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo

Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria was the 82nd Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark from 1327 to 1339.^[1]^[2] His episcopate lasted for eleven years, seven months and 26 days from 10 May 1327 (15 Pachons 1043 AM) to 6 January 1339 (11 Tobah 1055 AM).^{[citation needed]}

The See of St Mark remained vacant for 11 months and 26 days after his death.^{[citation needed]} He died on the day of the feast of Epiphany (6 January 1339, 11 Tobah 1055 AM).^{[citation needed]} He was buried in Deir Shahran (the monastery of Shahran). His body was later transferred to the Monastery of Abba Bishoy in the Nitrian Desert, the monastery that he restored after it was destroyed in riots. In his time, the Papal Residence was at the Church of The Holy Virgin Mary and St Mercurius in the Coptic quarter of Cairo.

Contemporary Rulers of Egypt During His Episcopate

He episcopate was at the time of the third reign of Al-Sultan Al-Nasser Ibn Qalawun. El-Malik el-Nasser Nasr el-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as Al-Nasir Muhammad ( الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu'l Maali or as Ibn Qalawun (born 1285– died 1341 AD) who was the ninth Mamluk sultan of Egypt. Al-Nasir Muhammad ruled for three reigns: first as a child (December 1293–December 1294), then from 1299–1309, and a third reign from 1310 until his death in 1341.

Brief biography

His name at birth was Benjamin. He was born in a town of Demicrat (دميقراط) at the deep south of Egypt. He loved the life of solitude and tranquility and thus he led a life of solitude in the desert near his hometown. As many of his relatives and acquaintances started visiting him, he left the place and went to the monastery of the Mule in the Mount Tura to realize his longing for the life of solitude away from people. This was not possible, as soon his virtues became known. Many believers admired him and came asking for his advice and for his prayers. When Abba Barsoum El-Aarian saw him, he prophesied that he would sit on the throne of St. Mark. Indeed, 43 days after the repose of Pope John IX, the 81st patriarch, the bishops gathered at the Patriarchate to elect the monk Benjamin from Deir al-Baqal in Mount Tura. He was ordained on 15 Bashans 1043 AM (10 May 1327 AD) and was called Benjamin II.

In his days, as characteristic of the entire period, a storm of extreme persecution and distress fell on the Copts. Many churches and monasteries were destroyed. The monks and nuns were harassed, and the life of the bishops became especially hard. Of particular mention was a wave of persecution unleashed by the governor Sharaf el-Din ibn el-Taj, who remained in office for one year and then he died. His successor was a patient and fair governor who treated Muslims and Christians with fairness. Thus, Abba Benjamin was able to rebuild what was destroyed of the churches and monasteries especially the monastery of Abba Bishoy in the Nitrian Dessert, which had been completely destroyed.

In the third year of his papacy (March 1330 AD, 1046 AM), 20 bishops gathered in the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great during Lent to consecrate the Holy Oil of Chrismation (Miron).

Then, the church faced a new wave of distress, this time at the hands of Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad. The Emperor of Ethiopia intervened to create an atmosphere of peace between the Patriarch and the Sultan, which restored a period of tranquility.

References

^ Meinardus, Otto F.A. (1999). Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 273–279. ISBN 9774247574.
^ Atiya, Aziz S., ed. (1991). "Benjamin II". The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Provided by Claremont Graduate University. New York City: Macmillan Publishers.

Oriental Orthodox titles
Preceded by John IX	Coptic Pope 1327–1339	Succeeded by Peter V

[1] Meinardus, Otto F.A. (1999). Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 273–279. ISBN 9774247574.

[2] Atiya, Aziz S., ed. (1991). "Benjamin II". The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Provided by Claremont Graduate University. New York City: Macmillan Publishers.

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[2]

v t e Patriarchs of Alexandria
Patriarchs prior to the Chalcedonian schism (43–451)	Mark I the Evangelist (founder) Anianus Avilius Kedronos Primus Justus Eumenius Markianos* Celadion Agrippinus Julian Demetrius I Heraclas Dionysius Maximus Theonas Peter I Achillas Alexander I Athanasius I Peter II Timothy I Theophilus I Cyril I Dioscorus I
Coptic Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Timothy II Peter III Athanasius II John I John II Dioscorus II Timothy III Theodosius I Peter IV Damian Anastasius Andronicus Benjamin I Agathon John III Isaac Simeon I Alexander II Cosmas I Theodore I Michael I Mina I John IV Mark II James Simeon II Joseph I Michael II Cosmas II Shenouda I Michael III Gabriel I Cosmas III Macarius I Theophilus II Mina II Abraham Philotheos Zacharias Shenouda II Christodoulos Cyril II Michael IV Macarius II Gabriel II Michael V John V Mark III John VI Cyril III Athanasius III John VII Gabriel III John VII Theodosius III John VIII John IX Benjamin II Peter V Mark IV John X Gabriel IV Matthew I Gabriel V John XI Matthew II Gabriel VI Michael VI John XII John XIII Gabriel VII John XIV Gabriel VIII Mark V John XV Matthew III Mark VI Matthew IV John XVI Peter VI John XVII Mark VII John XVIII Mark VIII Peter VII Cyril IV Demetrius II Cyril V John XIX Macarius III Joseph II Cyril VI Shenouda III Tawadros II (current)
Greek Orthodox Popes and Patriarchs (451–present)	Proterius Timothy II Timothy III John I Peter III Athanasius II John II John III Dioscorus II Timothy IV Theodosius I Gaianus Paul Zoilus Apollinarius John IV Eulogius Theodore I John V George I Cyrus Peter IV Peter V Peter VI Cosmas I Politianus Eustatius Christopher I Sophronius I Michael I Michael II Christodoulos Eutychius Sophronius II Isaac Job Elias I Arsenius Theophilus II George II Leontius Alexander II John VI Cyril II Sabbas Sophronius III Elias II Eleutherius Mark III* Nicholas I Gregory I Nicholas II Athanasius III Gregory II Gregory III Niphon Mark IV Nicholas III Gregory IV Nicholas IV Athanasius IV Mark V Philotheus Mark VI Gregory V Joachim I Silvester Meletius I Pegas Cyril III Gerasimus I Metrophanes Nicephorus Joannicius Paisius Parthenius I Gerasimus II Samuel Cosmas II Cosmas III Matthew Cyprian Gerasimus III Parthenius II Theophilus III Hierotheus I Artemius Hierotheus II Callinicus Jacob Nicanor Nilus Sophronius IV Photius Meletius II Nicholas V Christopher II Nicholas VI Parthenius III Peter VII Theodore II (current)
Latin Catholic (1276–1954)	Atanasio (Athanasius) Egidio da Ferrara (Giles) ?Humbert II, Dauphin of Vienne Juan (John) Guillaume de Chanac Arnaud Bernard du Pouget (Arnaldo Bernardi) uncanonical Jean de Cardaillac Pietro Amely di Brunac ? Johannes Walteri von Sinten uncanonical Simon of Cramaud Pietro Amely di Brunac Leonardo Dolfin Ugo Roberti Pietro Amaury di Lordat Lancelotus de Navarra Giovanni Contarini Pietro Vitalis di Mauléon Giovanni Vitelleschi Marco Condulmer Jean d'Harcourt Arnaldo Rogerii de Palas Pedro de Urrea Pedro González de Mendoza Diego Hurtado de Mendoza Alonso de Fonseca y Acevedo Bernardino Carafa Cesare Riario Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora Ottaviano Maria Sforza Julius Gonzaga Cristoforo Guidalotti Ciocchi del Monte Jacques Cortès Tommaso Alessandro Riario Enrico Caetani Giovanni Battista Albani Camillo Caetani Séraphin Olivier-Razali Alessandro di Sangro Honoratus Caetani Federico Borromeo Allesandro Crescenzi Aloysius Bevilacqua Petrus Draghi Bartoli Gregorio Giuseppe Gaetani de Aragonia Carlo Ambrosio Mezzabarba Filippo Carlo Spada Girolamo Crispi Giuseppe Antonio Davanzati Lodovico Agnello Anastasi Francisco Mattei Augustus Foscolo Paolo Angelo Ballerini Domenico Marinangeli Paolo de Huyn Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto
Melkite Catholic (1724–present)	Cyril VI Tanas Athanasius IV Jawhar Maximos II Hakim Theodosius V Dahan Athanasius IV Jawhar Cyril VII Siaj Agapius II Matar Ignatius IV Sarrouf Athanasius V Matar Macarius IV Tawil Ignatius V Qattan Maximos III Mazloum Clement Bahouth Gregory II Youssef-Sayur Peter IV Geraigiry Cyril VIII Geha Demetrius I Qadi Cyril IX Moghabghab Maximos IV Sayegh Maximos V Hakim Gregory III Laham Youssef I Absi
Coptic Catholic (1824–present)	Maximos Jouwed Kyrillos Makarios Stéphanos I Sidarouss Stéphanos II Ghattas Antonios I Naguib Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak
*Markianos is considered Mark II on the Greek side of the subsequent schism, hence this numbering of Mark III. Category Commons