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→A Brief Biography of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
On July 18, 1954, Mr. Gayed was led to the monastic life at [http://www.st-mary-mons.org/ "El-Suryan" Monastery] in the western desert of Egypt; he was given the name of Father Antonyos El-Suryaani. For six years, from 1956 to 1962, he lived a life of solitude in a cave about seven miles away from the monastery, dedicating all his time to meditation, prayer, and asceticism. He was among the candidates nominated for the papal throne in 1956, but [[Cyril_VI_%28Atta%29_of_Alexandria|Pope Cyril VI]] was the one ultimately chosen for the post.
In 1962, he was ordained by the late Pope Cyril VI as Bishop of Ecclesiastical (Religious) Education and was named President of the Coptic Theological Seminary; he was given the name of Bishop Shenouda on September 30, 1962. Continuing from his literary past, Bishop Shenouda published the first issue of "El-Keraza" magazine in Arabic in 1965, and remains the Editor-in-Chief to this day. Bishop Shenouda was suspended in 1966 by Pope Kyrillos VI.<sup>[http://www.coptichistory.org/new_page_1494.htm]</sup> This was essentially the result of Bishop Shenouda's (and students') enthusiastic 'campaigns for change', e.g., supporting people's right to choose their bishops and priests, a principle he later applied when he became pope after the repose of Pope Kyrillos VI. This "conflict" between Pope Kyrillos VI and Anba Shenouda was later resolved.
On November 14, 1971, His Holiness was enthroned as Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of Alexandria, and successor of the see of St. Mark.