Pope John VIII of Alexandria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pope John VIII of Alexandria |
|
|---|---|
| Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark | |
| Papacy began | 14 February 1300 |
| Papacy ended | 29 May 1320 |
| Predecessor | Theodosius III |
| Successor | John IX |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Yohanna Ben-Ebsal |
| Born | Bani-Khosaim, Egypt |
| Died | 29 May 1320 Egypt |
| Buried | Shahran Monastery |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Denomination | Coptic Orthodox Christian |
| Residence | Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo |
Pope John VIII, also known as Yohanna Ben-Ebsal, was a very important leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He served as the 80th Pope of Alexandria from February 14, 1300, until his death on May 29, 1320. He led the church for over 20 years during a challenging time in Egypt.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming Pope
John VIII was born in a place called Meniat Bani-Khosaim in Egypt. His birth name was Yohanna Ben-Ebsal. People also knew him as El Mo'ataman Ebn El-Kedees.
He chose to become a monk at the Monastery of Shahran. Monks dedicate their lives to religious service. On February 14, 1300, he was chosen and officially became the Pope. This was a very important role, leading many Christians in Egypt.
Challenges During His Time
Hard Times for Christians
During Pope John VIII's time, Christians in Egypt faced many difficulties. The government placed very high taxes on them. An official from Morocco was not happy that Coptic Christians were so involved in business and money matters.
Churches Facing Closure
Because of these issues, many churches were closed down. This happened in Cairo and other parts of the country. Only a few monasteries in Alexandria and some churches in other cities were allowed to stay open.
Help from Ethiopia
An important person, an envoy, came from the emperor of Ethiopia. This envoy spoke up for the Christians in Egypt. Because of his help, two churches were later reopened. One was the Coptic Orthodox church of the Church of the Virgin Mary (Haret Zuweila). The other was the Melkite church of Saint Nicholas in El-Hamzawe.
Later Years and Legacy
Important Events
Pope John VIII lived at the same time as Saint Parsoma. He even led Saint Parsoma's funeral service. Pope John VIII was the last Pope to live in the Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo.
He was also the first Pope to move the official church headquarters, called the patriarchal throne, to the Church of the Virgin Mary (Haret Zuweila). He was living there in 1303 AD when a huge earthquake hit. This earthquake caused a lot of damage in Syria and Egypt.
Changes to Church Services
A writer named Ebn Kabre mentioned that Pope John VIII made some changes to the church's worship services, known as the Liturgy. He died on May 29, 1320, after serving as Pope for 20 years, 3 months, and 15 days.
