UPDATE: The remaining 5 candidates for the papal chair will shortly arrive at St  Bishoy's Monastery in Wadi Al Natrun for a meeting with Bishop Pachomius and the Nominations Committee to discuss the next phase of the papal election process.

 At a press conference on Saturday afternoon in Wadi El-Natroun, headed by Bishop Pakhomious, Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church announced the final list of 5 candidates in the running to become the next pope replacing Pope Shenouda III who died in March.

Two of the candidates are bishops and three are monks. Candidates are:

• Bishop Raphael
• Bishop Tawadros
• Fr Raphael Afamina
• Fr Bakhamious El-Souriani
• Fr Sarafim El-Souriani   

The church is expected to pick the new Pope in a special lottery ceremony on 2 December. There will be three days of fasting on November 19-21, preceding the election.

Those who have been removed from the process are:

UPDATE: The remaining 5 candidates for the papal chair will shortly arrive at St  Bishoy's Monastery in Wadi Al Natrun for a meeting with Bishop Pachomius and the Nominations Committee to discuss the next phase of the papal election process.

 At a press conference on Saturday afternoon in Wadi El-Natroun, headed by Bishop Pakhomious, Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church announced the final list of 5 candidates in the running to become the next pope replacing Pope Shenouda III who died in March.

Two of the candidates are bishops and three are monks. Candidates are:

• Bishop Raphael
• Bishop Tawadros
• Fr Raphael Afamina
• Fr Bakhamious El-Souriani
• Fr Sarafim El-Souriani   

The church is expected to pick the new Pope in a special lottery ceremony on 2 December. There will be three days of fasting on November 19-21, preceding the election.

Those who have been removed from the process are:

From the bishops:

• Bishop Botros (Peter): General Bishop and Pope Shenouda III's personal secretary
• Bishop Pavnotios: Bishop of Samalut and Taha El-Aameda
• Bishop Pishoy: Secretary of the Holy Synod and the metropolitan of Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh and Al-Babrary and head of the Monastery of Saint Demiana.
• Bishop Kyrillos: Bishop of Milan (Italy). He voluntarily withdrew his candidacy earlier this week.
• Bishop Youannes: Former secretary of the late Pope Shenouda III.

From the monks:

• Father Anstasy El-Samuely: A monk at the Monastery of St Samuel in Minya.
• Father Begul Ava Pishoy: A monk at the Monastery of St Pishoy in Wadi Natrun.
• Father Pishoy (Paisios) St Paul: A monk at the monastery of St Paul the Anchorite in Egypt's Red Sea governorate.
• Father Daniel Al-Syriany: A monk at the Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Wadi Natrun.
• Father Sawiros (Severos) St Paul: A monk at the Monastery of St Paul the Anchorite in Egypt's Red Sea governorate
• Father Shenouda Ava Pishoy: A monk at the Monastery of St Pishoy in Wadi Natrun.
• Father Maximos al-Anthony: A monk at the Monastery of St Anthony in the Red Sea governorate.