Anba Epiphanius

[6] The Coptic Church published a statement to say that Pope Tawadros “mourned in Anba Epiphanius a true monk whose life was steeped in meekness and humbleness; also a scholar who possessed a wealth of knowledge that fruited research and publications in various branches of ecclesiastical studies.

The Pope prayed for peace for his soul, and comfort for the St Macarius monk assembly as well as all who loved the late Abbot [...] He was simple in his clothes, his house and his food.

[9] Anba Epiphanius was an ardent follower of Matthew the Poor and it is believed that this led to severe tension within his monastery particularly where the former monk and suspect in the abbot's killing, Wael Saad Tawadros, was concerned.

The body was lying in a pool of blood with brains emerging out of the skull[10] and apparently the wound to the back of his head had been caused by a heavy, sharp object.

[15] A spokesman for the Church, Boulos Halim, stated that, "In light of mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, the authorities were called and they are now carrying out their investigations".

[16][17] According to some sources, it was believed that the attack was "terrorist" or "criminal" related though early investigations revealed that the suspect was one of the monks who were present that day.

[22] The monastery (some reports indicating the entire Coptic Church in Egypt[23]) has taken a decision to not take on any new brothers from 1 August 2018 as well as issued a series of 12 orders for the brotherhood including suspending all use of personal social media and refraining from speaking with the press on penalty of also being defrocked.

A halt is imposed on the acceptance of novices and on allowing would-be monks to take orders in all Coptic Orthodox monasteries in Egypt for a period of one year that starts August 2018.

Monasteries may receive visitors all year round, except during the Advent and Lent when visits should be restricted to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of every week.

Monks inside their monasteries should strictly adhere to, without deviation, monastic rules and the quest for the Eternal Life, for which they gave up the world.

Monks are given a one-month period during which they should close or deactivate any social media pages or accounts, and voluntarily relinquish such behaviour and activity as unworthy of monastic life, lest the Church takes necessary action against them.

It is the responsibility of the abbot and his aides to activate and empower the guidelines cited in the Guide to Monkhood and Monastic Life Management issued by the Holy Synod in June 2013.

1 August 2018 Anba Raphael, General Bishop of Downtown Cairo Churches, was the first to directly respond to the Holy Synod’s decisions, by closing down his social media accounts.

May the Lord be with you, and preserve the Church in peace.” [25] It is claimed the measures, which are being enforced over the course of a month from issue date, are not directly related to the death of the abbot however are there generally for increased adherence to obedience.

[36] It was revealed by a source within the monastery, who was not officially authorised to speak with the press, that the newly deceased monk was in fact a father-confessor to one of the two brothers standing trial (see below).

Signs indicate that he had been a victim of poisoning and his body contained traces of agricultural insecticide of a type commonly used in the areas surrounding the monastery.

The monk has been required to revert to his name in the world i.e. Wael Saad Tawadros, has been ordered to live a life of repentance and could now be prosecuted in a civil court.

It is understood that previously Brother Isaiah has been one of six monks who have constantly been at conflict with their Anba Epiphanius including disobeying his orders such as leaving the monastery without permission.

[54] It is reported that Faltaous was re-hospitalised on 21 August 2018 due to gangrene in his leg becoming degraded, as well as having entered a state of nervous shock preventing him from answering questions including to the investigators.

The former brother, Yacoub al-Makary, was accused of having founded an irregular monastery and therefore it was decided by the Coptic Church to permanently defrock him forcing him to revert to his civilian name of Wahba Atallah.

[57] It is unclear if brother Yacoub's defrocking is directly connected to the murder of the former abbot and the Church has revealed that he had established an irregular monastery and had taken funds privately from the aspiring monastics.

[58] Wael Saad and Remon Ramsi Mansour were charged through the Public Prosecution Office in Alexandria with the premeditated murder of the abbot.

Brother Asheya's lawyers also claimed that their client had been forced in to confessing to the murder and that he was tortured physically and psychologically at his police interviews.

[64] On 1 November 2018, the Court heard from Major General Khaled Abdel Hamid who was heading the investigation for the prosecution that both main suspects brothers Isaiah and Faltaous had in fact twice previously attempted and failed in murdering the former Abbot.

It was further alleged by the prosecution as to motive that the suspects had been in disagreement with the former Abbot over financial matters and other aspects to their behaviour in violation of their monastic rule.

The prosecution denied that the defendants had been subjected to psychological torture and alleged furthermore that brother Isaiah had led the investigators to the crime tool.

Judge Gamal Toson of the Daramhour Court stated in his summing up that, "The defendants were led by the devil to the path of evil and vice.

[66][67] According to the Associated Press, under date of 1 July 2020, "Egypt’s highest court Wednesday upheld a death sentence for a former monk convicted of killing an abbot in a desert monastery north of Cairo in 2018.

Picture : (Ishaia’ al-Maqari to the left, Faltaous al-Maqri to the right) [71] Following the death sentence, the controversy among Coptic public concerning the case continued.

The large majority of Copts being conservative had difficulty accepting that a monk could be a murderer, citing a history of police violations and comparing to terrorists held in prisons for longer periods awaiting executions that were not carried out.