Pope John V of Alexandria

Pope John V of Alexandria was the 72nd Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark (25 August, 1147 - 29 April, 1166).

He was initially a monk in the Monastery of Saint John the Dwarf in Scetes. He was enthroned as a Pope of Alexandria on the second day of Pi Kogi Enavot, 863 A.M. (25 August, 1147).

During his papacy, the Copts were persecuted by the Muslim governors and Caliphs. Many were killed and sold as slaves. Several churches in Cairo, such as the church of Saint Menas in Haret El Room and the church of "El-Zohari", were plundered and destroyed. They were later rebuilt by the Coptic layman Abu El-Fakhr Salib Ibn Mikhail. It was also at this time (1164 A.D.) that Saint Bashnouna was killed by the Muslims.

According to the "History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria", the Emperor of Ethiopia wrote to John in 1152 for a new "abuna" or Metropolitan, because Abuna Mikael was too old. Although the name of the Emperor was not recorded, the scholar Carlo Conti Rossini identified him as Mara Takla Haymanot, arguing from this exchange that the true reason a new "abuna" was wanted was that Abuna Mikael refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new Zagwe Dynasty.¹ Pope John denied this request and was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for two weeks during the reign of the Fatimid caliph Al-Zafir.

During John's papacy, the expression "Life-giving" was added to the liturgical confession, which became: "This is the Life-giving Flesh that Thine Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, took from our Lady ...".

According to the "History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria", the Emperor of Ethiopia wrote to John in 1152 for a new "abuna" or metropolitan, because Abuna Mikael was too old; his request was denied. Although the name of the Emperor was not recorded, the scholar Carlo Conti Rossini identified him as Mara Takla Haymanot, arguing from this exchange that the true reason a new "abuna" was wanted was that Abuna Mikael refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new Zagwe Dynasty.¹

Pope John V died on 4 Pashons, 882 A.M. (29 April, 1166 A.D.) after 18 years, 8 months, and 4 days on the Throne of Saint Mark.

References

# Taddesse Tamrat. "The Legacy of Aksum and Adafa" in "Church and State in Ethiopia". Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972, p. 55.
# [http://icopts.com/new/index.php?option=com_synaxarium&task=alldays&rdr=bashans/day4.php Coptic Synexarion]