On the sixth anniversary of the death of Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III, the Church's current Pope Tawadros II told Ahram Online that Shenouda "was a father to all of us... loving, thoughtful, modest, and a teacher," adding that the late pope's his memory, image, and voice are a reflection of Christ.

"When we celebrate the memory of the late pope, we feel that he served the church deeply in an unforgettable way… we feel joy for living in his time and learning from him," Pope Tawadros II said.

Today is the sixth anniversary of the death of Shenouda III, the 117th Coptic Orthodox pope, whose episcopate started in 1971.

Pope Tawadros said that as the pope of the biggest church in the Middle East, his predecessor earned the love and respect of everyone, adding that Shenouda III had varied interests, especially in theological and family education.

"Pope Shenouda was a patriotic man, Egypt was his love. I personally feel joyful when I hear officials domestically or abroad quote his prominent saying, 'Egypt is not a nation in which we live, but a nation that lives in us'," Pope Tawadros said.