Egypt.. The departure of the pioneer of enlightenment and religious tolerance, Anba Youhanna, I said

Last week, Egypt invited the enlightened encyclopedic thinker Anba Youhanna Qalta, who was known as one of the leaders of religious dialogue and positive coexistence in the Arab Mashreq. In addition to his theological studies, he collected a distinguished academic record, where he obtained a master’s degree on Taha Hussein’s thought and a doctorate on Orientalist thought from Cairo University. He published several books on important intellectual topics. He was also known for his tireless efforts at the practical level in the dialogue of religions and civilizations as a member of the Islamic-Christian Dialogue Committee in Egypt.

The Catholic Church mourned Anba Youhanna Qelta in an official statement, as did the Evangelical sect. Its head, Rev. Andre Zaki, said, "We bid farewell to the great Egyptian thinker who left our world after a long intellectual dedication and great spiritual service, and who played a great role in supporting the values ​​of dialogue and coexistence."

John Qelta considered that confronting the extremism and arbitrariness of extremists and facing duplicity in our societies is the issue of his life, according to an interview he gave to journalist Hamdi Abdel Rahim in Al-Dustour newspaper on August 28, 1998. He also called for a religious dialogue with philosophicality in an article he wrote in Al-Ahram on February 18, 2008, and said that " The dialogue in which he participated had a real role and message in bringing consciences and hearts closer, and it brought about a tangible rapprochement and broad tolerance among the segments of society.

The writer Helmy El-Qouss said in an article for him on the “Heritage of the Coptic Church” website that “Anba John’s boldness is exceptional. Al-Ahram published an article on January 21, 1998 entitled (Ramadan Kareem - Christian Meditation) in which he praised “the personality of the great human being, Muhammad bin Abdullah, the prophet of Islam,” and said that “the aspects of this character are still greater than the discovery of all aspects of its greatness,” noting that this Chaddah does not It means denial of his Christian faith or being accused of hypocrisy, and that his words “are nothing but an invitation to love, affection, understanding and the establishment of a high human dialogue between man, otherwise a person who differs from him.” Second Vatican Council 1962-1965).

Rev. Refaat Kamal Saeed said that “Anba John Qelta was calling for freedom and the works of the mind,” and “he believed in the necessity of removing the mentality of the 18th and 19th centuries, the mentality of colonialism and racial superiority, and the removal of the culture of the twentieth century that was based on weapons to deter people and money in the service of pleasure.” ".

Kamal Qolta, whose name is Kanya Yohanna Qelta, was born in the village of Al-Qatna in Tahta in Sohag Governorate in 1937. He joined Catholic schools to graduate as a priest, where he became the pastor of the Church of Prostration in Shubra since 1961. Then he joined the Faculty of Arts, Department of Arabic Studies, Cairo University, where he obtained a BA and then a master’s degree in thought. Dean of Arabic literature, Dr. Taha Hussein, then a doctorate in the “French Orientalists’ Study of Arabic Poetry.” He taught French literature at the Academy of Arts. He also assumed responsibility for media and journalism and chaired the Egyptian Catholic Committee for Justice and Peace. He also obtained membership in the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate and organized as a writer. In "The New Magazine", he published several books, including "Memoirs of a Monk in the Countryside", "The Thorns of the Soul", "Man is the Issue - Man is the Solution", and "Hungry Souls" "The Impact of French Culture on Taha Hussein's Literature", as well as A novel entitlednear the West Nile.

In September 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture honored Bishop Youhanna Qelta in recognition of his culture, writings and enlightening role.

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