Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia 2 May 2021
cyril iii ibn laqlaq, corpus of
Botros Sadek Keywords: Holy Synod; Canon Law; Canon Law–Coptic Church; Simony; Confession and Penitence; Forgiveness; Patriarchs and Patriarchate; Bishops; Ayyubid Dynasty; Manuscripts. cyril iii ibn laqlaq (A.D. 1235-1243), the seventy-fifth patriarch of the Coptic Church, was not a well-reputed figure in church history, yet he was a remarkably cultivated and educated man. The prominent historian al-maqrizi highlights his erudition as well as his love for money and power. His literary corpus includes several exegetical, liturgical, pastoral, and canonical texts, either composed by him or attributed to him as a patriarch. It consists of the following: Book of Confession (or Master and Disciple), Endowments and Alms, Ten Questions, A Beginner’s Guide and Disciplining the Laity, Collection of Patriarchal Letters, Cyril’s Canons, Summary of Canons, and The Agreement (or Canons of the Citadel Synod).
Cyril composed the Book of Confession or Master and Disciple in 22 chapters when he was still a priest named Dawud. The book argues that auricular confession is the only path to salvation from post-baptismal sins. It is predominantly influenced by the penitential theology and hermeneutic methodology of murqus ibn qanbar (+ 1208). Like Murqus, who exegetes the Pentateuch figuratively to advocate auricular confession, Cyril also exegetes the parables of Jesus for the same objective. Chapter ten can be considered the pinnacle of the treatise since it establishes the exclusive authority of the priests over divine forgiveness. Peter is depicted, not only as the leader of the disciples, but also as the head of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, who transfers the keys of the kingdom to his successors. Since the priests possess the power of the keys, no forgiveness can be obtained without their mediation. Those who reject confession are considered as committing grave sin. Cyril––like Murqus before him––puts much emphasis on penitential satisfaction; without pain and suffering, forgiveness of post-baptismal sins cannot be granted. The human soul must be punished by disgrace and shame through confession, and the human body must suffer hardships through ascesis. Cyril’s unconventional teachings and practices were rejected by the clergy of his district (al-Fayyum), his own bishop (Butrus), and the Coptic patriarch (john vi).
Nonetheless, his ministry as “Master of Repentance” was welcomed by several Coptic nobles from Cairo. Cyril failed to promote auricular confession during his lifetime, but the widespread proliferation of his treatise played a major role in establishing the practice gradually among the Copts (Sadek 2020). Endowments and Alms is an article issued by Cyril in A.D. 1240 to regulate how the bishops should manage the endowments (waqf) in cooperation with the custodians. It forbids the return of the endowments to the benefactors, even with the excuse of poverty, and confirms the full authority of the bishop to distribute the alms according to the various needs of his diocese (Athanāsiyūs al-Maqārī 2009: 337-340).
In Ten Questions, Cyril answers the questions raised to him by his friend Christodoulous, whom he ordained as metropolitan of Damietta. The questions are related to the role of the bishop in administering his diocese, leading his subordinates, and presiding over episcopal tribunals. One question inquires about the offender who harms another Christian and refrains from fulfilling the juridical obligation or liability, even after being punished by the bishop and prohibited from communion. Cyril gives the right to the maltreated person to complain and present his case to the Islamic magistrate. Ironically, this happened against Cyril himself and he was even imprisoned due to civil intervention in ecclesiastical matters (Athanāsiyūs al-Maqārī 2009: 346-349). © Claremont Graduate University 1 Botros Sadek, Corpus of Cyril iii Ibn Laqlaq 2 May 2021 A liturgical booklet titled A Beginner’s Guide and Disciplining the Laity ( وتهذيب المبتدئين ترتيب العلمانيين ), dated to A.D. 1240, is attributed to Cyril. It contains liturgical instructions to educate the laity about the Eucharist, Great Lent, and clerical duties of each ordained person serving in the church. Among the instructions we encounter the “Rite of the Censer” as it was explained by mikha’il of damietta several decades before Cyril. Most likely, this booklet was a compilation of liturgical instructions from several resources and not necessarily written by Cyril (Misaeel al-Baramosy 2020).
The Patriarchal Letters of Cyril are preserved in one manuscript in the Coptic Patriarchate (Theology 291); a few of these letters are ecumenical, but the majority are pastoral. In the Letter to the King of Ethiopia, Cyril notifies the king of his election to the patriarchate and instructs him to practice justice in his kingdom and follow the Christian commandments. In the Letter to Jirjis, Metropolitan of Ethiopia, Cyril informs him about the debt that Cyril owes the Islamic ruler and expects him to contribute a good portion of it. In the Synodical Letter to Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 1237), Cyril uses previously composed anthologies of the church fathers to demonstrate the common faith between Egypt and Syria. In response, Ignatius sent a letter to Cyril denouncing two issues: first, his ordination by two bishops only, which he perceived as uncanonical, and second, the election of a Coptic metropolitan in his own jurisdiction. In his second Letter to Ignatius of Antioch, Cyril argues that he was ordained by enough bishops according to the canons. He is probably referring to the apostolic canons, which decrees a minimum of two bishops for ordination. For the second issue Cyril explains that the main duty of the newly ordained metropolitan is to serve the Coptic flock, who immigrated north to Greater Syria due to famine and economic hardship.
Like the Armenians, who appointed a bishop to shepherd the Armenians in Egypt, and like the Syrians, who appointed a hegumen to supervise dayr al-suryan at scetis, the Copts reserve the right to appoint one for Jerusalem.
One of the pastoral letters, titled the Letter to the People of Alexandria, focuses on the love of money, which he deems the root of all kinds of evil, and the sin of taking concubines. In the Letter to the People of Upper Egypt, Cyril exhorts them to repent and humbly follow the spiritual instructions of the priests. In the Letter to the Bishops of Upper Egypt, Cyril exhorts the bishops at the beginning of Great Lent to shepherd the flock and teach them the word of God. Cyril also informs them that he appointed a priest called Yacoub to supervise the monasteries spiritually and financially. In the Letter to the Monks of the Monastery of St. Anthony, Cyril encourages the monks to be committed to a life of righteousness, guard their thoughts and senses, and follow the monastic rule. The Letter to the Churches is an ecclesiastical etiquette letter, in which Cyril admonishes the people attending the liturgy not to crowd each other when receiving communion. In the Letter to the Sponsor of the Newly Baptized, Cyril exhorts the sponsor or guardian )( األشبين to nurture the child in the Christian faith and raise him in the fear of God. The correspondences of Cyril represent him as a concerned pastor, astute leader, and commanding administrator (Werthmuller 2010: 137-152).
Cyril’s Canons were prescribed by the fourteen bishops of lower Egypt who attended the synod on 3 September A.D. 1238 at the church of harit zuwaylah to address Cyril’s errors. The synod issued a set of canons in twelve chapters reflecting the reform agenda, to which Cyril submitted and which he signed. These canons forbid simony and bribes, regulate the process of episcopal ordinations, summarize the customs of marriage and inheritance, emphasize Miaphysite Christology, and command the patriarch not to change anything of the Coptic beliefs, customs, and traditions.
© Claremont Graduate University 2 Botros Sadek, Corpus of Cyril iii Ibn Laqlaq 2 May 2021 In addition to the twelve chapters mentioned above, another set of canons, Summary of Canons ( القوانين موجز ), was compiled according to the instructions of the synod from other Nomocanon collections. They were formulated on 17 September A.D. 1238 by the famous canonist al-safi ibn al-‘assal in five sections and nineteen chapters. In this canonical collection, several liturgical and juridical issues are regulated, including baptism, engagement, marriage, divorce, inheritance, slaves, priesthood, and the duties of minor clerical positions.
Another synod was held at the Citadel on 8 September A.D. 1240 before the vizier (Moueen al-Deen) and the representatives of the governor, with nine bishops in attendance. The Citadel Synod issued The Agreement ( االتفاق ) between Cyril and the bishops in eighteen chapters, formulating the main patriarchal duties, including the process of ordaining a bishop––without simony––and the process of judging a bishop in a conciliar manner rather than in a monarchical manner. The Synod appointed two bishops to supervise Cyril; among them was bulus al-bushi, who was ordained as bishop of Misr (al-Fustat) especially for this purpose. According to The Agreement, Cyril could not pronounce any judgement––neither excommunicate nor reconcile anyone to the Church––without the approval of the two appointed bishops (Burmester 1946-1947, 1950-1957; Athanāsiyūs al-Maqārī 2009: 287-336; Ibn al-‘Assāl 1908: 436-456; Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ 1974; Yūsāb of Fuwwah 1987: 161-181; Swanson 2010: 89-95).