Thousands bid farewell to Coptic pope

CAIRO, March 20 (UPI) -- Thousands of mourners attended the funeral for Coptic Pope Shenouda III in Cairo Tuesday before his body was taken to a desert monastery for burial.

The casket carrying the body of the late pope was closed, then pallbearers carried it from St. Mark's Orthodox Church amid a crush of mourners reaching out to touch the coffin one last time, Ahram Online reported.

Shenouda, head of the Middle East's largest Christian community, died Saturday after a battle with lung cancer. He was 88.

Members of Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces attended the service, as well as other Christian and Muslim civilian and religious leaders, Egypt Independent reported.

Egyptian officials declared Tuesday a day of national mourning.

Shenouda's will indicated he wanted to be buried at St. Bishoy Monastery in Wadi al-Natroun.

Bishop Pachomious will assume the papal duties until a new pope is chosen, Bikyamasr.com reported. Shenouda's successor will be chosen by a council that includes senior clergy, current and former Coptic public officials, lawmakers and journalists.

"I don't know who can replace him, he saw everything. But it will be God's choice," Erian Gad, who traveled from Suez with his wife to attend the funeral, told the Egypt Independent.

In 1971, Shenouda was elected pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, which numbers about 18 million worldwide.

Various estimates suggest the Christian sect makes up about 5 percent of Egypt's predominantly Muslim population. A church bombing and a clash with the military last year killed 46 Coptics and injured scores of others.