|
Report of the Papal Delegation presented to the Holy Synod assembled on June 21, 1986 and headed by H.H. Pope Shenouda III
On Saturday, Baramhat 27, 1702 A.M., the 5th of April 1986, Father Heg. Abdel Messih El-Sherbeeni and Father Samuel Younan, the priests of Saint Demiana church in Papadouplo, El-teraa El-Boolakia, Shoubra, Cairo, informed Pope Shenouda III of the occurrence of apparitions of the Blessed Holy Virgin Mary and other saints, associated with other spiritual phenomena in the church.
H.H the Pope entrusted Anba Paule, now bishop of Tanta and Anba Saweros, bishop of El-Moharaq Monastery to go to the church and investigate the matter on site. The two bishops immediately went to the church and remained there till the morning and each of them presented a report to H.H. the pope affirming their personal witness of supernatural spiritual phenomena, and they reported what eye-witnesses have said, all giving the same details of apparitions of the Blessed Holy Virgin Mary and other saints starting on the eve of Tuesday, 16 Baramhat, 1702 A.M., the 25th of March, 1986.
On the 9th of April, 1986, H.H. Pope Shenouda III officially entrusted a special committee to investigate the subject. On the eve of this same day (April 9), the members of the committee went to the church and remained there till the morning and saw the Apparition of the Holy Virgin Mary and the various accompanying spiritual phenomena. The committee went to the church on several occasions thereafter and the apparitions of the Blessed Holy Virgin and spiritual phenomena were repeated. These apparitions were accompanied by miraculous cure of numerous sick persons with diagnosed hopeless medical cases, like the return of sight to the blind or to persons who have suffered ophthalmic diseases for long years and have impaired sight, or the cure of patients with chronic kidney disease, heart disease and all other bodily organs' affections, many of these patients were appointed to undergo surgical operations after failure of all other methods of medical treatment.
The apparitions of the Blessed Holy Virgin in Saint Demiana church in El-teraa El-Boolakia, Shoubra were unique in that:
-
The apparitions were not limited to night hours, but also occurred during the day.
-
The apparitions were not limited to the church towers from outside, but also occurred inside the church on the eastern side of the altar and iconostasis and on the church dome from the inside.
-
The apparitions were not limited to the Blessed Holy Virgin Mary, but on many occasions other saints also appeared, like Saint Demiana preparing for the apparitions of the Blessed Holy Virgin Mary, and more than this, the very clear apparition of the Blessed Virgin holding our Lord Jesus Christ on Her arms, as seen in the morning of Friday 14 Baoona 1702 A.M., the 20th of June 1986, during the Holy Mass held by Father Heg. Dawod Tadros, the priest of Virgin Mary church at Rod El-Farag and member of the General Melly Council and the Clerical Council (who was praying in Saint Demiana church on this day).
-
The apparitions and transfigurations were repeated over a long period and still occur at the time of writing of this report on Friday 14 Baoona 1702 A.M., the 20th of June 1986.
-
The apparitions were not limited to luminous transfigurations, but at other times flames were seen, when the Virgin appeared surrounded by flames or tongues of fire that ultimately changed into very bright light, as witnessed by the members of the Papal Delegation.
The Members of the Delegation
Signatures.
[ The last two lines of the official report presented to the Holy Synod
of the Coptic Orthodox Church on June 21, 1986,
and formally approving the apparitions; the signatures
of the members of the Papal Delegation are also seen. ]
|
