His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman on November 4th, 1952 in Mansoura. His father was an irrigation engineer and his family moved around during his childhood from Mansoura to Sohag and then to Damanhour.

He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1975 from Alexandria University and earned a fellowship for the World Health Organization from the British International Health Institute in England in 1985. He attended the Coptic Seminary and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a manager in a pharmaceutical company in Damanhour that was owned by the Ministry of Health.

His Holiness’s life has always revolved around church since his youth. He wished to live the life of monasticism and joined the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20, 1986. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months later, he started serving with H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomious of Beheira (February 15, 1990). He was ordained a bishop on June 15, 1997 by H.H. Pope Shenouda III, as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomious. His Holiness focused on childhood, whether in the country-wide children’s festival or when he was in charge of the children’s committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books.

His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria on November 18, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweis in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided over by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomious of Beheira, as well as other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic church, and was attended by many delegates of Christian Churches.