Kirellos VI of Alexandria
Kirellos VI of Alexandria (born Azzer Yousef Atta), was Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria (1959 - 1971). Also known as Pope Cyril VI (Kirellos is Arabic for Cyril). He was born on August 8, 1902, in Damanhour, Egypt to Christian parents.He resigned a civil service position to become a monk in July 1927. He passed his probationary period, and on February 24, 1928 took his monastic vows and assumed the name Mina El-Baramosy.
In 1947, he built the Church of Saint Mina the Martyr in the Coptic quarter of Cairo.
He became Pope of Alexandria, on May 10, 1959 (Coptic calendar: 2nd of Beshans, 1675). On June 28, 1959 he appointed Archbishop Gathlik for Ethiopia. In November 1959 he laid the foundation stone of the Big Monastery of Saint Mina in Mariuot Desert.
In January 1965 Kirellos presided over the Committee of Eastern Orthodox Churches in Addis Ababa, the first (Masconic) and (Non-Khalkadonic) synod of these churches held in modern times.
In June 1968 Kyrillos received the remains of Saint Mark the Evangelist, which had been absent from Egypt for over eleven centuries. The saint's remains were interred beneath the Great New Cathedral of Saint Reways built by Kirellos and was opened in a ceremony attended by President Nasser, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and delegates from most of the world Churches.
He died in March 1971 after a short illness.
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