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Mohammed Abu Zeid / AP
Young boys wait anxiously to hear which one of them will be selected to choose the new pope of Egypt's ancient Coptic Christian church, in Cairo on Nov. 3, 2012.
Nasser Nasser / AP
A blindfolded boy draws the name of the next pope from a crystal chalice next to acting Coptic Pope Pachomios, center, during the papal election ceremony at the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo on Nov. 4, 2012.
The Associated Press reports from Cairo — A blindfolded child reached into a crystal chalice and pulled out a slip of paper — and Egypt's Coptic Christians had a new pope.
The colorful but solemn ceremony at the Cairo cathedral of the troubled minority reflected none of the tensions outside. It was the end of a complicated process that began when the church's charismatic leader for four decades, Pope Shenouda III, died in March at the age of 88.
Roger Anis / AP
Egyptian Copts crowded into the cathedral for the papal election ceremony on Nov. 4, 2012.
At the Coptic Cathedral, there was a moment of silence. Then a boy, himself chosen by lottery, his face covered by a dark blue cloth decorated with religious images, was led to the chalice. Copts believe that his hand would be guided by God. He reached into the vessel and pulled out the name of Bishop Tawadros, who will be the next spiritual leader of the Copts.
Read more about how the new Coptic pope was selected.
Nasser Nasser / AP
Acting Pope Pachomios, center, displays the name of 60-year-old Bishop Tawadros, soon to be Pope Tawadros II, while another clergyman displays the names of the remaining two candidates, Bishop Raphael and Father Raphael Ava Mina, during the papal election ceremony on Nov. 4, 2012.
Khaled Elfiqi / EPA
Bishoy Gerges waves to the audience after he picked out the name of Bishop Tawadros from a glass urn on Nov. 4, 2012.
Roger Anis / El Shorouk via AP
Bishop Tawadros, 60, soon to be Pope Tawadros II, greets well-wishers, not shown, after being named the 118th Coptic Pope on Nov. 4, 2012.
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Putting a blindfolded young boy around a bunch of Catholic Priests? Recipe for trouble.
A moronic statement from someone who apparently can't read, or who has a limited understanding of world faiths and cultures. These are Coptic Christians, not Roman Catholic. Coptic bishops are drawn from monastics, but ordinary Coptic priests get married.
"The colorful but solemn ceremony at the Cairo cathedral of the troubled minority reflected none of the tensions outside. It was the end of a complicated process that began when the church's charismatic leader for four decades, Pope Shenouda III, died in March at the age of 88."
It is a question of faith. These Coptic Christians have not bothered others.
So what is the problem and where is the need to question faith?
just another cult!
Whoever the boy picks gets to have him for the night.
Oooooooooooooooooooooh, SLAP!!
You need to be horsewhipped.
Well, at least it removes the politics that beset the selection of the Roman Catholic pope.
But God has nothing to do with either selection process.
Dan,
"Well, at least it removes the politics that beset the selection of the Roman Catholic pope."
That's exactly what I was thinking. The election of a new Pope in the Roman Catholic Church is a real power struggle among the Cardinals involving much backstabbing and favoritism. It looks like the Copts have found an easy solution to that: selection by lottery. Just fill a bowl with papers containing the names of the contestants and have a blindfolded kid pick the winner. No politics there!
The three names in the bowl are selected by the bishops, so God has a very limited choice.
no politics? how do you suppose the names in the chalice were selected, you can be sure there was some maneuvering in that process!
Interesting tradition. Neat photos.
Only God has to save the Coptic Christians from the mad Sunni Islamic killers belonging to Salaffi, MB and others!
Sunni Saudi backed Salaffi and MB new chapters are opening up in Egypt. Morsi is just a front for them.
Just watch the fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni Saudis and co are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones.
Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.
All together now! Meka-leka-hi! Meka-hiney-ho! All hail Jambi!
Perfect way to illustrate how ridiculous religion is. Let me guess, women cannot achieve popedom but children can choose the pope? Brilliant.
wow this would be very interesting if it was 5000 years ago.
Religion is the nectar of the retard.
Banaschar...I could not have said it better myself. Thanks.
How quaint and medieval. I wonder how many of them are aware that the Earth is round, that Jupiter has lots of big moons, and that we have a heliocentric solar system. If only 10% of them know that, then they'll still be ahead of the US evangelical voters.
Faith doesn't stand in for science or real world knowledge.Just an FYI for you haters.
what haters are you referring to?
Funny that all the papers in the container had the same name on it. Praise God for his miraculous ways.
GOOD ONE! That was really hil...........
The pope is just like my nose - hand picked.
You can pick your nose, and you can pick your pope, but you can't pick your pope's nose!
I hope he isn't a former HitlerYouth, and ChildMolestor enabler, unlike the current Catholic Pope.
I'm sure there's a family tree merger somewhere down the line.
Much like the US presidents, religious leaders are picked by blindfolded children. Ah, the irony. Yes, I went there.
Maybe we should select all our leaders this way. Just pick a random Social Security number to be President, then another to be Vice President, more numbers for House and Senate, etc.