Abba Raphael celebrates his 17th ordination anniversary

Abba Raphael, secretary of the Holy Synod, celebrates today the 17th anniversary of his ordination as a general bishop for Cairo downtown churches.

He was born in 1958 and grew up in the district of Shubra, Cairo. He studied at Ain Shams University, Faculty of Medicine, and was ordained a monk in the monastery of Virgin Mary-Baramos in Wadi Natrun in 1990. He was ordained a bishop in June 15, 1997.

Abba Raphael was nominated to run for the papacy in 2013, and was appointed as  secretary of the Holy Synod after Pope Tawadros II was named pope no. 118.