Newspaper Al-Akhbar
Publication date May 11, 1968
Language Arabic
Why Didn’t I Go to See the Virgin?
Pope Cyril VI spoke to Akhbar El-Youm newspaper, saying:
“I did not go to witness the apparition of the Virgin so that the people might have the chance to see it for themselves, without being influenced by any consideration.”
He affirmed that the appearance of saints and angels is well established in the Holy Scriptures.
The Pope Speaks to Akhbar El-Yom About the Apparition of the Virgin
Why haven’t I gone yet to see the Virgin?
The appearance of angels and saints to people is affirmed in the Holy Bible.
Report by: Mikhail Khalil and Farid Adeeb
After completing his prayers, His Holiness Pope Cyril VI, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, for the United Arab Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, all of Africa, and parts of Asia and Canada , ascended from the Great St. Mark’s Cathedral to the visitors’ reception hall, where crowds had gathered seeking his blessing.
The interview began with the questions that many wished to ask:
“Your Holiness, why did you not attend the press conference that announced the official statement confirming the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Zeitoun Church?
Why did you not personally sign the printed declaration?
And why have you not gone to witness the apparition of the Blessed Virgin yourself?”
I Heard the Objections
The Pope smiled..the tall man whose broad eyes radiate light, serenity, and piety, and said gently:
“I will respond, though perhaps not in the exact order of the questions.
I have heard much said about my absence from the press conference, and the objections raised by some who claimed that I did not sign the official statement affirming the authenticity of the apparition.
And I have also heard many ask, ‘Why has the Pope not yet gone to see Our Lady of Zeitoun?’
All of this belongs to the kind of talk that circulates during such great and sacred events, for the appearance of Our Lady of Light, the pure Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, is a mystery far beyond human understanding.
The truth is this:
First, I have seen Our Lady of Light, the Dove of Peace, the pure Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, I have seen her since my youth, seen her through faith.
I have witnessed her miraculous works in my own family home on Nile Street in Alexandria, around the year 1910.
She appeared there, clothed in her radiant garments and wearing her luminous crown, and on that day, she granted healing to a sick person in our house.
That event had a profound effect on every member of my family, and on me personally. Her image remained a source of blessing and grace within our home, and faith took deep root in our hearts.
We all grew up in love for her, and that sacred, blessed memory has never left me.”
God Has Revealed His Signs
“And now, after millions have witnessed the apparition of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary, above the Church of Zeitoun; after news of this miraculous event has spread from one end of the earth to the other; and after countless reliable witnesses have testified to this wondrous vision, unlike any that has ever appeared before in any place on earth, we bow before God, glorifying and praising Him for His providence and for revealing His divine signs.
These signs bring peace to hearts and strengthen the bonds of faith within our souls.”
The press conference was held under my direction
“Secondly, the press conference was held under my own direction. It followed a full month and three days of study, prayer, and careful investigation.
I personally issued the official statement, confirming the facts that had been gathered concerning this sacred apparition. I signed it, ordered its printing and distribution, and appointed three bishops to represent me at the conference.
I provided them with the necessary guidance on how to respond to journalists’ questions, and their answers reflected precisely what I believe, know, and affirm in faith.”
Article by Sabry Ghoneim
Two Nights Waiting for the Virgin
I spent two whole nights, staying until morning, eager to witness the apparition after all I had heard from eyewitnesses.
Every one of them affirmed that they had seen her, suspended in the air, and the witnesses were many: most of them respected figures, educated people far removed from exaggeration or superstition.
For example:
Dr. Louis Marcos, Professor and Head of the Department of English Literature at Ain Shams University, his daughter Mona Louis, a teaching assistant at the same university, Dr. Tawfik Mansour and his fiancée Fadia Zakri Attallah, a student at the Faculty of Dentistry, and many others, men and women, young and old, all confirmed to me that they had seen the Virgin surrounded by white doves.
Because of this, I was determined to spend the long hours of the night standing among the thousands who refused to tire, whose eyes never closed. Their eyes glimmered in the darkness, all fixed on the domes of the church, anticipating her appearance at any moment.
Amid the murmurs and prayers, I heard the voice of a young woman, still in the bloom of youth, an engineering student, calling out beside me:
“I saw the white doves that accompany her apparition!”
I asked her, “Where did they appear?”
She replied, “Above the domes, they were flying fast and high.”
As the clock’s hands moved toward 2:30 a.m., voices rose in excitement and exclamation:
I saw them myself, two white doves, of an unusual kind, ascending higher and higher until they vanished.
I cannot truly describe the scene, thousands of people shouting, weeping, and glorifying the Almighty in that unforgettable moment.
Two hours later, the same scene repeated itself, another dove appeared above the church, then rose into the sky until it disappeared.
All that remained were the cries of the faithful surrounding Our Lady of Zeitoun Church, still waiting for her to appear.
I returned home with the magnificent image of those white doves over the church engraved in my memory, two of the most beautiful nights of my life.