The Coptic Orthodox Church has defrocked on Tuesday a monk named Yacoub Al-Makary from the St Macarius Monastery.
The Church published in its magazine Al-Kiraza the Monastic committee’s decisions, which accused Yacoub of establishing an independent monastery and receiving money from applicants who wanted to be monks.
The Church reinstated his civil name Wahba Atallah and added in a statement that it exerted efforts to get the accused to revoke his actions, but in vain.
A controversy took place in the St Macarius Monastery when it witnessed the death of bishop Epiphanius, who was found dead on 29 July, with signs of beatings to the head.
Currently two monks are accused of killing bishop Epiphanius and they will be delivered to court on 23 September, after the prosecution referred them to trial.
The two defendants, Father Philotheos of St Macarius Monastery and Monk Isaiah, are accused of killing bishop Epiphanius, after Philotheos confessed that he committed the murder.
