SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

About the Host: Leiden University in general and the Congress organizers in particular have done a great job in organizing the Congress. They spared no effort and made all to feel welcome even under the most difficult of circumstances. They acted as best as can be hoped for in preparing and executing the different events and activities of the Congress. There were especially two persons that carried much of the load of the organization: Dr. Jacques van der Vliet, the Congress Secretary and Dr. Magdalena Kuhn, his assistant. There was however one major shortcoming with respect to the accommodation which the next Congress may want to minimize. Though it was unavoidable within the time frame and geographical location, however it did have a rather adverse effect. It was the dispersion of the participants into many and distant hotels. There were many reasons for that, which included the rising popularity of this Congress and other major conferences being held within the same time and geographical frame. This, for me, diminished the after-hour interactions that are as important as the Congress events Introduction: The road to the Coptic Congress this year came by way of Paris, another non- homogenous city of Europe. It is a populace city with as long and rich a history as any where in Europe. A city where museums are in abundance, old buildings are plentiful, and people with an ethnic diversity reflecting France history of its past conquests in Africa and Asia. There you see the old and the new, the narrow and the wide, and the rich and the poor. For me, the city's charm would be determined on the basis of its Coptic treasures, and I found it to be most charming. The Copts in Paris: It is difficult nowadays to visit a major city in Europe and not find a significant number of Copts. Paris of course is no exception. The Copts there make up the majority

themselves. For someone like me who live in a scholarly desert in Los Angeles, such interface with scholars with similar interest is vital to my professional growth and for the Society. Others may not share such an opinion but I am sure that many would agree with this comment. Conclusion: This Congress proved that Coptic Studies is gaining strength not only in the academic circles but also among the Copts who are slowly responding to Dr. van der Vliet's letter to our 1999 Second Conference of Coptic Studies. He said in his letter, which I submit in conclusion, "Looking forward, I find that it is my great hope that the new century, as far as Coptic studies are concerned, will be marked by the rise of a new generation of Coptic scholars, recruited from among the Copts themselves. By 'a new generation of Coptic scholars',. I mean “new” not only in terms of age but first of all in terms of outlook, of approach." (St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter V.6 [N.S.4], No.1, October 1999) of all the Copts in France. They are estimated to be a few thousands in number. Ecclesiastically they fall now under the direct jurisdiction of H.H. Pope Shenouda. All new priests and orders of deacons would be ordained by the Pope or an officially delegated bishop. The two French bishops who were ordained a couple of decades ago, have had their jurisdiction limited to the French congregations that joined the church with them at the time. None of these congregations are in the Paris area. Three churches are found within the Metropolitan area. Two of them are established and the third is in its early stages of development. All have priests serving the congregation. The closest church to our location was that of St. Michael at the Southern

Copts and Coptica in Paris 2000 (by Hany N. Takla)

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

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