# Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac presides over opening Mass, church says

The Patriarch of Alexandria for the Coptic Catholics emphasized that religious studies should strengthen a student's relationship with Jesus Christ, the church said.

![An open book resting on a simple wooden lectern beneath a domed church roof in Sakakini.](https://coptic-news.com/2026/10/patriarch-anba-ibrahim-isaac-presides-over-opening-mass-church-says/patriarch-anba-ibrahim-isaac-presides-over-opening-mass-church-says.jpg)

Illustration: Coptic News

By the Patriarchate Desk of Coptic News.

- Published: 22 October 2026, 19:04 New York time (2026-10-22T23:04:49+00:00)

The Catholic Church in Egypt said on 22 September 2026 that Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac, Patriarch of Alexandria for the Coptic Catholics and President of the Council of Patriarchs and Bishops of the Catholics in Egypt, presided over the opening Mass for the 2026–2027 academic year at the Faculty of Religious Sciences in Sakakini. The Mass was held at the Church of the Sacred Heart of the Combonian Fathers, the church said.

Patriarch Anba Ibrahim Isaac stated that religious studies should be more than acquiring information and should serve to strengthen the relationship with Jesus Christ and foster the growth of love and the fruits of the Spirit in a student's life. He said that these studies should be a way to strengthen the relationship with Jesus Christ and the growth of love and the fruits of the Spirit in the life of the student. The Patriarch added that true study leads to searching for truth and encountering God, transforming knowledge into a living relationship that bears fruit in daily life.

According to the church, the Patriarch warned that knowledge separated from love and the fruits of the Spirit can become a source of pride, conflict, and rejection of others. He noted that study is incomplete if it does not deepen love and the fruits of the Spirit. The Patriarch also stated that knowledge provides the ability to discern, choose what deepens one's life in the Lord Jesus, and assists in changing behavior.

Regarding enrollment, the faculty reported 147 regular students, including 8 Master's level students and 27 students in the Counseling and Accompaniment Diploma program, while 176 students are enrolled in the online study system. The faculty also announced the launch of a mobile application named "Faculty of Religious Sciences in Sakakini" to help students follow lectures, view academic status, and monitor grades. Additionally, three students will be sent to Lebanon for training courses in cooperation with the Association of Theological Colleges and Institutes in the Middle East "ATIME".

## Sources

1. [غبطة البطريرك الأنبا إبراهيم إسحق يفتتح العام الأكاديمي الجديد بكلية العلوم الدينية بالسكاكيني](<https://catholic-eg.com/%d8%ba%d8%a8%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%83-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%a7-%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%85-%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%ad%d9%82-%d9%8a%d9%81%d8%aa-20/>), Catholic Church in Egypt. Published 2026-09-22. Accessed 2026-10-17.

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