Venetian merchants stole the Evangelist's body, and carried it
to their home town, Venice, whose Patron Saint was Saint
Mark. The body remained in St. Mark's Cathedral of
Venice^20 until the 24th of June, 1968, when his relics were
given by Pope Paul VI to Abba Kyrillos VI, Pope of the
Coptic Church. Now, they rest in a reliquary built especially
for the occasion under the altar of a new grand Cathedral
bearing the name of the blessed Evangelist on a spot known
as Abba Roweiss ground, in Abbasseya, Cairo. Special
festive prayers were held then, as the Coptic Church was
celebrating the nineteenth centenary of St. Mark's
martyrdom.
elle
(Elle)
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