The Central Papal Library: The Face of the Coptic Church to the World
The Dream of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II Chronicles the Ecclesiastical Heritage
"The library was a dream that has been on my mind for a long time. Today libraries are fund in churches and monasteries. But we were thinking of an integrated central institution through which we could show the Coptic Church’s care in education and scientific research. We Thank God for giving us this great blessing. What was just a dream has now become a reality!”
The dream of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, according to his words, has come true and has become a great cultural and intellectual reality in an oasis of one of the holiest lands that the Holy Family has passed through, here in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt.
In the cradle of the monks and their first gathering spot in the 4th century AD, the Papal Library, the Central Papal Library, was established. This edifice that bears ecclesiastical cultural history and intellectual heritage, consolidating the thought and teachings of the Fathers, is the largest Coptic library in the entire Coptic Church and the latest facility of the Papal Logos Center in the Monastery of Anba Bishoy in Wadi El Natrun, in this dry desert region that contributes to the preservation of books and manuscripts, specifically older ones, to avoid damage from humidity. As well as, the library, as His Holiness Pope Tawadros II said, constitutes a face for the whole Church to the world!
A cultural stop in which the participants in the Twelfth General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches had the opportunity to visit the library during their introductory tour at the Papal Logos Center, in which this ecumenical event was held, between the 16th and 20th of May 2022, hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, at the Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church under the slogan "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14: 27).
Through these images and lines, let us take a special tour at the Coptic Church's library, the Central Papal Library!
From Dream to Reality: Foundation and Establishment
The Central Papal Library was inaugurated on November 19, 2019 during the Holy Synod, in a grand celebration in which the members of the Synod participated. The dream of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II would not have become a reality without the support of the dioceses of the See of St. Mark, churches, and monasteries. It was also established with the help of some church members who presented several old and new books, in addition to books and encyclopedias in different languages donated by a number of Coptic youth from outside Egypt. On the other hand, some Archbishops and Bishops of the Church donated devices that contribute to the development of the Library's work, such as smart video projectors, scanners, and computers. The experiences of some monasteries in the field of library management were also benefited from, such as the monasteries of Al-Baramus, Abu Makar, and Saint Mina in Mariout.
As for the design of the Library, it was created by a young engineer by following the Greek architectural style. This style was implemented by structural engineers who were originally servants and deacons in the church. As for the internal work, it is still ongoing, not only at the level of the Church, but also through cooperation with entities and bodies interested in Coptic culture and heritage globally.
The following photos were published on the website of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center.
One of the Pillars of the Educational System in the Coptic Church: Vision and Objectives
The Coptic Library was called the Papal Library in order to always remain under the patronage of the Patriarch, especially because of its importance and place in the Church's system of ecclesiastical education. It has also been given the name of the Central Library due to becoming a major seat of knowledge next to a large number of monastery and church libraries.
The role of the library is to be, according to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, in the service of knowledge, academic, and study activities, especially those related to the Coptic era, because it is an integral part of Egypt's components. From here, the Central Papal Library represents an oasis that creates a heritage scientific environment for studies and research for all those interested in Coptic heritage in Egypt and all over the world. Therefore, the need for a library like this today lies within the framework of integration with people in all their situations, pain, joy, culture, and language, in order to constitute a storehouse for the secrets of the Egyptian civilization, its language, and literature, and even Egyptian architecture and arts...
But what about the goals of the Central Papal Library? In fact, this ancient library is characterized by five goals that the Coptic Orthodox Church sheds light on. First of all, the library seeks to enhance societal awareness of the Coptic era, especially since it is an era in the history of Egypt and the Middle East that constitutes an integral part of the cultural conscience and intellectual heritage and all studies related to them. The library also works on preserving knowledge production on Coptology that is issued by academic bodies concerned with research and documentation, such as reading materials (studies, encyclopedias, books, periodicals, newspapers, and magazines), audio, or video in various languages.
On the other hand, the library aims to intensify scientific research in Coptology and related activities related to the process of publishing and translation in this field with other concerned institutions. This is in addition to grouping Coptic heritage of all kinds, restoring, documenting, and categorizing it in order to facilitate its presentation and make it available to researchers and scholars in one place, in coordination with Coptic monasteries and geographical sectors of the Church and individuals with private collections. The library also aims to stimulate and support a cycle of knowledge exchange and strengthen a community of researchers locally and globally in order to implement a model for a successful and pioneering Egyptian cultural institution that can interact with modern information society.
The following photos were published on the website of the Central Papal Library.
An Edifice That Preserves Coptic Heritage: Parts and Sections
The Central Papal Library includes several parts that were set up to take into account all cultural needs related to studies and research. First, the library gathers several sections for the Bible, Theology, General Knowledge, History of Christianity, Periodicals and Reviews.
As for the second part, it includes different halls that preserve many archaeological artifacts and shrines. For example, at the entrance to the Hall of the History of Christianity you will find a section of the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, as a gift from the Primate of the French Coptic Orthodox Church, Anba Marcos, in 1975. You can also look at the cell of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, who used it as his main writing center, in addition to some of his personal belongings. Noting that this cell was on the land on which the library was built, thus the engineers chose not to remove it. In the museum corridor, some cultural, historical and artistic collections and artifacts were also preserved, along with the reception hall, meeting and lecture rooms, and the Multimedia Hall.
The third part of the library contains several annexes, a guest house for researchers, reading and research areas that are connected to the Internet, a hall that includes two scanners and photocopiers through which books and manuscripts are converted into digital copies, namely, V-Shape Scanner and Flatbed Scanner, not to mention the restoration lab, storage space for books, and the management office.
All these parts and sections are elements that embody a history of martyrdom and Holiness, a history in which the Coptic Church established its heritage, culture and teachings...
With these parts and sections, we reach the conclusion of our tour in the Central Papal Library in the Papal Logos Center, St. Bishoy's Monastery, in the Valley of Wadi El Natrun in Egypt, carrying an eternal Holy message, “Search the Scriptures, for you think that you have eternal life in them, and they bear witness of me” (John 5:39).
Communication and Public Relations Department
The following photos were published on the website of the Central Papal Library.
