Pope John XI of Alexandria

Pope

John XI
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Papacy began11 May 1427
Papacy ended4 May 1452
PredecessorGabriel V
SuccessorMatthew II
Personal details
Born
Farag

El-Maksa, Cairo, Egypt
Died4 May 1452
Egypt
BuriedKhandaq Monastery of Saint Ruwais
DenominationCoptic Orthodox Christian
ResidenceChurch of the Virgin Mary (Haret Zuweila)

Pope John XI of Alexandria was the 89th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark from 1427 to 1452.[1][2]

Before his enthronement as Pope, his name was Farag. After his enthronement, he became known as John El-Maksi because he was from El-Maksa district in Cairo.

He was contemporary to Al-Ashraf Sayf-ad-Din Barsbay, Al-Aziz Jamal-ad-Din Yusuf, Az-Zahir Sayf-ad-Din Jaqmaq, and Al-Mansur Fakhr-ad-Din Uthman, the Burji sultans of Egypt. During his Papacy, the Copts encountered many hardships that the kings of Ethiopia threatened the Burji Mamluks to cut the flow of the Nile because of their persecution of the Christians. John XI was forbidden to communicate with the kings of Ethiopia and Nubia without the permission and knowledge of the sultans.

John XI was enthroned on 16 Pashons, 1143 A.M. (May 11, 1427 A.D.). He occupied the Throne of Saint Mark for 24 years, 11 months, and 23 days. He departed on 9 Pashons, 1168 A.M. (May 4, 1452). He was buried in the tomb of the Monastery of El-Khandak. The Papal Throne remained vacant after his departure for 4 months and 6 days.

  1. ^ Meinardus, Otto F.A. (1999). Two Thousand Years of Coptic Christianity. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 273–279. ISBN 9774247574.
  2. ^ Atiya, Aziz S., ed. (1991). "John XI". The Coptic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Provided by Claremont Graduate University. New York City: Macmillan Publishers.