Pope Gabriel II of Alexandria, 70th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He is commemorated in the Coptic Synaxarion on the 10th day of

Parmouti Parmouti ( cop, Ⲡⲁⲣⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ, ''Parmoute''), also known as Pharmouthi ( grc-gre, Φαρμουθί, ''Pharmouthí'') and Barmudah. (), is the eighth month of the ancient Egyptian and Coptic calendars. It lasts between April 9 and May 8 ...

. This Pope was from the nobles of Cairo, and was a writer, scribe, and scholar. He transcribed many Arabic and Coptic books. The elders of the people and the clergy chose him for the Patriarchal Chair, and his enthronement was on the 9th day of Amshir, 847 A.M. (February 3., 1131 A.D.)."The Departure of Pope Gabriel II, the Seventy Pope of Alexandria, who was known as Ibn Turaik", Coptic Orthodox Church
/ref> When the

Caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

was asked by the Emperor of Ethiopia to appoint more

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

s to his kingdom, Gabriel showed the Caliph that if that country had more than seven bishops, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church would be able, by

Canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, to select their own '' Abun'' or

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the ...

, thus curtailing the influence the Patriarch, and thus the Caliph, had over

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. Thus, the Emperor's request was declined.

References

Coptic Orthodox saints 12th-century Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria 1145 deaths {{Saint-stub