Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY 15A Fateful AudienceSEPTEMBER 12, FRIDAYWell, it seemed like today would be yet another wasted daywaiting in the Patriarchate of Cairo. It’s something I would not ordinarilybe willing to do, I suppose, except that being rather penniless,waiting around in Cairo, being fed occasional Coca-Colas andcandies, it is about the best thing I can do. And perhaps, like thebeggars on the doorstep, I may eventually become such a nuisancethat they’ll have to remedy the problem that I represent.But today, finally, toward the end of the day there was a littlebreakthrough. It came about through the secretaries: these womenwho are running back and forth, doing all the paper work and answeringall the telephones. They have seen me waiting here theselast three or four days and have become progressively more andmore agitated on my account. They have been speaking more andmore sharply to the higher clergy whose offices they serve.Finally, today, two of them double-teamed the bishop who is incharge of the Pope’s appointments. One went in, and then theother one went in, independently of each other. Then both ofthem went in together and I even heard raised voices. I’m not surethat I understood everything, but I did hear something about respectand hospitality, or something to that effect. I’m sure theywere arguing that I’m entitled by now, that I’ve earned the right tosee the Pope simply by the wholesale loss of the greater part of thisweek waiting for him.So eventually, the bishop came out, Anba Serapion, the Bishopof Ecumenical Affairs, one of the more important secretaries of thePope. He walked me over to the papal residence which is justacross a driveway from the curia offices. We went up a set of stairsinto a beautiful lobby area and in just a few minutes I was taken into see his Holiness, Pope Shenouda III. He was sitting at the endof a long table with high-backed chairs. He greeted me verywarmly. He embraced me, kissed me on both cheeks, and sat medown. I spoke to him about the letters I had written. He noddedhis head, acknowledging neither that he remembered them northat he didn’t get them. He just listened to what I had to say. SinceI didn’t know how much he was apprised of my intentions, I reviewedthem briefly with him in about five or ten minutes. I told