Pope Cyril III of Alexandria | |
|---|---|
| Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark | |
| Papacy began | 17 June 1235 |
| Papacy ended | 10 March 1243 |
| Predecessor | John VI |
| Successor | Athanasius III |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 17 June 1235 |
| Consecration | 17 June 1235 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Ibn Laqlaq of Fayyum (داود ابن لقلق الفيومي) ~ 1175 AD |
| Died | 10 March 1243 Cairo, Egypt |
| Buried | Wax (El-Shamaa) Monastery (دير الشمع في الجيزة) |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Denomination | Coptic Orthodox Christian |
| Residence | The Hanging Church |
Cyril III, known as Cyril ibn Laqlaq (كيرلس الثالث ابن لقلق), was the 75th Coptic Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria.
His episcopate lasted seven years, eight months, and 23 days from Sunday, 17 June 1235 (23 Paoni 951 A.M.) to Tuesday, 10 March 1243 (14 Baramhat 959 A.M.). Before his ordination, the Episcopal Seat was vacant for 19 years, partly due to the competition between the three candidates vying for the position, including ibn Laqlaq himself. His ordination was controversial, and he is remembered as a lover of money who did not ordain a bishop, a priest, or a deacon without getting paid, a practice called simony.
In 1238, he issued a new set of canons for the Coptic church and its dependencies in Ethiopia, Nubia, and Cyrenaica.[1]
The See of St Mark remained vacant for seven years, six months, and 28 days after Cyril ibn Laqlaq's death until he was succeeded by Pope Athanasius III of Alexandria on Sunday, 9 October 1250 AD. The Apostolic Throne remained vacant because intense persecution did not allow the Copts to elect a successor. Cyril ibn Laqlaq was buried in the Wax Monastery in Giza (دير الشمع في الجيزة). In his time, the Papal Residence was located at the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo.