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Athanasius Paul

ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
edited June 2012 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Can someone explain this guy to me?

I'm royally confused.

ReturnOrthodoxy

Comments

  • mabsootamabsoota
    dodgy. ignore it.
  • andrew8345andrew8345
    Very sketchy.
  • peter_saadpeter_saad
    Yeah. Definitely sketchy. Where did you find this?
  • Bimbo123Bimbo123
    http://www.sevenholystones.net/Shenouda_n_Jen_n_Chris_n_Fr_Pops.jpg

    Photoshop?
    :S
  • George_Mina_Awad
    [quote author=Bimbo123 link=topic=13400.msg156742#msg156742 date=1339731605]
    http://www.sevenholystones.net/Shenouda_n_Jen_n_Chris_n_Fr_Pops.jpg

    Photoshop?
    :S


    From looking at sayedna in the picture, it looks like it was probably taken before 2004 when Athanasios endorsed Adventism. Could be real.
  • ilovesaintmarkilovesaintmark
    He's a Max Michel spin-off.  That is who his patriarch is.

  • ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
    It seems that fro the start he was crazy. He was adventist/methodist/evangelical. How is it that he was so quickly accepted in Orthodox priesthood?

    Now he even has respect for the LDS "church."

    ReturnOrthodoxy
  • joekelinyjoekeliny
    [quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=13400.msg156752#msg156752 date=1339777525]
    He's a Max Michel spin-off.  That is who his patriarch is.


    Ohh, true, never thought of that. The pictures really questionable...
  • ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
    He was an actual priest in the Coptic church. There are too many pictures for me to pass over them.

    He is a Max Michelle in the fact that he betrayed the church, but he is otherwise unrelated.
  • ilovesaintmarkilovesaintmark
    I had heard he was a Max Michel follower.
  • andrew8345andrew8345
    RO,

    Did you come across this guy on Fr. Kyrillos' FB page? Or it is a coincidence that I saw him there as well?. . .

    http://www.facebook.com/Fr.Kyrillos.Ibrahim
  • Anthonypk7Anthonypk7
    I came across him as well, he says he's "retired" from Orthodox Priesthood?  :o Like many of you, I am confused. Though unlike Max Michel, who is against the Late Pope Shenouda, this guy says he respects Pope Shenouda and the church's bishops and priests. What does he mean by retired, and how was he accepted in one of the holiest orders in the church so quickly and easily ???
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    It is interesting that in 1996 Father Athanasius Paul attended a conference organised by the Moonie cult, and it was stated that he had been sent by Pope Shenouda.

    I doubt this very much, but it seems hard to understand how a Coptic Orthodox priest could attend a major meeting of a cult. But I also know of a Coptic bishop who openly invites Pentecostal Evangelicals to come and serve with him - the advert is online on the Pentecostal church's website.

    I hope that this sort of behaviour will be regularised in the near future. There is a real and necessary place for ecumenical dialogue and activity, but these are not that.
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    In 1997 he was back with the Moonies, and..

    Father Athanasius Paul of the Coptic Orthodox Church offered a congratulatory plaque on behalf of the first 100 Christian Ministers in the United States who received the preliminary Blessing.

    Why was he tangled up with the Moonies while being allowed to continue to act as an Orthodox priest? This is not ecumenical engagement, this is a cult.
  • SonofmacariusSonofmacarius
    Greetings,

    I had him as a friend on my Facebook profile only since I was interested in meeting and learning from stories of converts into the COC. After realizing that he is no longer serving as a priest and his acceptance of other denominations that are completely outside the light of the Apostolic Tradition I deleted him.

    I worry for other Copts out there who add anyone who looks like a priest or has the title of Fr infront of his Facebook name, let us be cautious.

    Also, I am sure Fr. Kyrillos knows him well that he does not agree with the path this Athanasius person is taking. Because of my love for Fr. Kyrillos I hope we do not get any wrong understanding of this beloved shepherd who really cares for his church and who is always willing to sacrifice his time to hear our concerns and problems. I am not speaking on behalf of his parish but as someone that has never met him face to face but has had edifying conversations with him.

  • SonofmacariusSonofmacarius
    *If Fr. Kyrillos knows him well
  • Raouf2430Raouf2430
    I do not personally know Athanasius Paul. I do know that he was indeed ordained a Coptic Orthodox priest by HH Ppe Shenouda III after he had spent over a year in Egypt studying Orthodoxy. HH ordained him as a kind of missionary priest in the early 90s and he kind of wandered around without a parish or congregation. He was looked after by (I believe) Bishops Paula of Tanta and Bishop Youannes (I wonder if they have any comments on Athanasius Paul).  When Bishop Serapion became the diocesan bishop of Los Angeles, HH gave HG a list of all the priests/churches he was "inheriting". (Fr) Athanasius Paul was not one of them....I have no clue what HH intended for Athanasius Paul and it seems he kind of just fell of the radar screen and continued his spiritual journey in other directions while still maintaining a fondness for his Orthodox past.

    I have almost 2,000 friends on Facebook, most of which I do not know. I get all kinds of tags and things posted on my wall. I have had limited interaction with Athanasius Paul and we had a very cordial and respectful dialogue which I consider to be private.  He has never presented himself as someone different than what he is...i.e. someone who was ordained a Coptic Orthodox priest, was left dangling in the world...and now has moved on to other things while loving and respecting his past.

    I hope I can answer any other questions/concerns but that is pretty much what I know.

    God bless,
    Fr. Kyrillos
  • andrew8345andrew8345
    Thank you for clarifying, Fr. Kyrillos.

    I know you may not be able to comment on the specific case of Athanasius Paul, but what is the protocol when a priest defects?

    Is he approached and asked to change his views? Is he immediately cut-off?

    Thank you.
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