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Part IV: Dogma and Ritual Questions · 39

The Making of the Holy Myron in the Monasteries or in the Patriarchate

Faith Q&A › Many Years with People's Questions › Part IV

The question

For a long time the making of the Holy Myron used to be carried out in one of the monasteries, and then it was transferred to the Patriarchate, where it remained for some time. Why was this? And why did it then go back to being made in the monasteries?

The answer

A monastery is a very appropriate place for making the Holy Myron, firstly because it is a Holy place, and secondly, because it is far away from the noise and bustle of the city. So why did we take it to the Patriarchate in Cairo at all?

Well, that happened not because of a particular theological or ecclesiastical reason, but rather because of the problem of transport.

In the past, people had to reach the monasteries by camel, because there weren't any asphalt roads, as there are nowadays, on which their carts or vehicles could pass easily along the way and reach the monastery as easily and quickly as we can today.

The way across the desert sand by camel was hard, and took a long time. Just imagine what it must have been like for the rider on his camel, with the precious Holy Oil and the pre-baptismal or Ghalilaun shaking about in large glass containers with every step of the camel, and in constant danger of getting broken, and being spilt all over the place - and all this on a journey that lasted a long time!

It actually happened on one occasion that a huge container of oil was broken, but fortunately it was only one of Ghalilaun * and not the holy chrism. The Pope at that time was very upset by this and decided to make the Holy Oil in Cairo, and that is where it continued to be made from the time of the 89th Pope until recently.

Now circumstances have changed however, and the original difficulties of transportation which called for that change in the first place no longer exist, and there isn't the danger of large glass containers being broken, or their contents being spilt, because in fact plastic containers are now used to bottle the Holy Oil.

Therefore the making of the Holy Oil returned to the monasteries as before. ___________________________________________________ • for an explanation of this term see the following section

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Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory

Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory, Many Years with People's Questions, Part IV: Dogma and Ritual Questions. Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Translated by Mrs. Glynis Younan, London. Revised by Mrs. Wedad Abbas. First edition, August 1992. Revised COEPA 1997. ISBN 977-5319-0-2-1.