Perspective Redefining Physicians' Role in Assisted Dying Julian J.Z. Prokopetz, B.A., and Lisa Soleymani Lehmann, M.D., Ph.D. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:97-99July 12, 2012 Interview with Dr. Lisa Lehmann on the physician’s role in assisted dying for terminally ill patients. (16:20) · Listen · Download Terminally ill patients spend their final months making serious decisions about medical care and the disposition of their assets after death. Increasingly, they are also choosing to make decisions about the manner and timing of their death, and many are completing advance directives to withhold life-sustaining treatment. A controversial facet of this trend toward a more self-directed dying process is the question of assisted dying — whether patients should have the option of acquiring a lethal dose of medication with the explicit intention of ending their own life. This practice is generally illegal, but there is a movement toward greater social and legal acceptance. The Netherlands had a long history of court-regulated assisted dying before official legislative recognition, and some Western European countries have followed its lead. Oregon became the first U.S. state to legalize assisted dying when it passed the Death with Dignity Act (DWDA) through a voter referendum in 1997. Since 2008, six states have considered the issue legislatively or judicially; although legalization efforts failed in New Hampshire, Hawaii, New York, and Connecticut, they succeeded in Washington State (through a referendum) and Montana (through a court ruling). Measures based on the DWDA are up for consideration in Pennsylvania and Vermont, and Massachusetts supporters are working toward a ballot measure. Independent governmental commissions in Canada and Britain have recommended legalization, and the Supreme Court of British Columbia recently struck down a national ban on physician-assisted suicide. Data from places with legal assisted dying have helped allay concerns about potential abuses and patient safety, but a lingering challenge comes from the medical establishment. Many medical professionals are uncomfortable with the idea of physicians playing an active role in ending patients' lives,1 and the American Medical Association (AMA) and various state medical groups oppose legalization. This position is not an insurmountable barrier, however; we propose a system that would remove the physician from direct involvement in the process. Advances in palliative medicine have produced effective strategies for managing and relieving pain for most terminally ill patients, including the possibility of palliative sedation. Inadequate pain control therefore ranks among the least common reasons that patients in Oregon request lethal medication. Most say that they are motivated by a loss of autonomy and dignity and an inability to engage in activities that give their life meaning.2 Patients in the United States may already decline to receive life-sustaining treatment through advan.

1. Perspective
Redefining Physicians' Role in Assisted Dying
Julian J.Z. Prokopetz, B.A., and Lisa Soleymani Lehmann,
M.D., Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2012; 367:97-99July 12, 2012
Interview with Dr. Lisa Lehmann on the physician’s role in
assisted dying for terminally ill patients. (16:20)
· Listen
· Download
Terminally ill patients spend their final months making serious
decisions about medical care and the disposition of their assets
after death. Increasingly, they are also choosing to make
decisions about the manner and timing of their death, and many
are completing advance directives to withhold life-sustaining
treatment. A controversial facet of this trend toward a more
self-directed dying process is the question of assisted dying —
whether patients should have the option of acquiring a lethal
dose of medication with the explicit intention of ending their
own life.
This practice is generally illegal, but there is a movement
toward greater social and legal acceptance. The Netherlands had
a long history of court-regulated assisted dying before official
legislative recognition, and some Western European countries
have followed its lead. Oregon became the first U.S. state to
legalize assisted dying when it passed the Death with Dignity
Act (DWDA) through a voter referendum in 1997. Since 2008,
six states have considered the issue legislatively or judicially;
although legalization efforts failed in New Hampshire, Hawaii,
New York, and Connecticut, they succeeded in Washington
State (through a referendum) and Montana (through a court
ruling). Measures based on the DWDA are up for consideration
in Pennsylvania and Vermont, and Massachusetts supporters are
working toward a ballot measure. Independent governmental

2. commissions in Canada and Britain have recommended
legalization, and the Supreme Court of British Columbia
recently struck down a national ban on physician-assisted
suicide.
Data from places with legal assisted dying have helped allay
concerns about potential abuses and patient safety, but a
lingering challenge comes from the medical establishment.
Many medical professionals are uncomfortable with the idea of
physicians playing an active role in ending patients' lives,1 and
the American Medical Association (AMA) and various state
medical groups oppose legalization. This position is not an
insurmountable barrier, however; we propose a system that
would remove the physician from direct involvement in the
process.
Advances in palliative medicine have produced effective
strategies for managing and relieving pain for most terminally
ill patients, including the possibility of palliative sedation.
Inadequate pain control therefore ranks among the least
common reasons that patients in Oregon request lethal
medication. Most say that they are motivated by a loss of
autonomy and dignity and an inability to engage in activities
that give their life meaning.2 Patients in the United States may
already decline to receive life-sustaining treatment through
advance directives, but that is a reactive stance: only when an
acute condition occurs can patients decline intervention, and
many patients have no life-sustaining treatments to withdraw.
Some terminally ill patients wish to exercise their autonomy and
control the timing of their death rather than waiting for it to
happen to them.
This perspective is reflected in surveys of relatives of
terminally ill patients in Oregon. In two studies comparing
deaths from ingesting lethal medication with deaths from
terminal illness, relatives gave similar ratings of patients'
medical and emotional well-being in the last days of life and of
their own feelings about the patients' dying process. The only
reported differences were that patients who chose assisted dying

3. had greater control of their symptoms and that they and their
families were more prepared for and accepting of their death.3,4
The DWDA outlines a careful, rigorous process for determining
eligibility for assisted dying. A terminally ill adult must make
two separate requests, at least 15 days apart, to his or her doctor
for a lethal dose of medication. Two physicians must
independently certify a prognosis of death occurring within 6
months and must refer the patient for a psychiatric evaluation if
they suspect mental incompetence or the influence of an
underlying psychological condition. The patient must be
informed of palliative options and can withdraw the request at
any time; of course, patients can also receive the medication
and not ingest it. Physicians may not administer the medication;
patients must ingest it independently.
Critics have voiced six primary objections to legalizing assisted
dying, four of which have been largely invalidated by 13 years
of data from Oregon. First, opponents fear that permitting
patients to take their own life will worsen the quality of
palliative care, but in Oregon, overall spending on and patient
ratings of palliative care have risen since assisted dying was
legalized.5
Three concerns center on patient safety: discrimination — that
assisted dying will disproportionately affect vulnerable groups;
the slippery slope — that the practice will be expanded to
include patients with nonterminal illness or even nonvoluntary
euthanasia (a lethal injection from a physician without an
explicit request by the patient); and abuse — that a patient's
request for lethal medication may stem from mental illness or
coercion by unscrupulous relatives.
These fears have not been borne out in Oregon,2,5 where
patients choosing assisted dying are overwhelmingly white and,
on average, more financially secure and more highly educated
than the general population. After 13 years, the number of
patients who die from lethal medication has stabilized at 30 to
50 per year, and the state has not attempted to broaden the
eligibility requirements or prescription mechanisms. Oregon has

4. reported no cases of coerced requests for lethal medication;
indeed, the system's safeguards (waiting periods and psychiatric
evaluation) are much more stringent than those for the well-
accepted practices of withholding or withdrawing of life-
sustaining treatment.
The fifth objection holds that allowing assisted dying
undermines the sanctity of life. This is a subjective moral
question, commonly framed in terms of absolute preservation of
life versus respect for personal autonomy — a divide that often
falls along religious lines. There is no clear, objective answer,
but as with issues such as abortion or withdrawal of life
support, legalization would benefit those who want the option,
without affecting care for those who object to the practice.
Finally, there are objections from the medical community. In a
2003 study of AMA members, 69% objected to physician-
assisted suicide,1 a position officially held by various national
and state medical associations. Even with allowances for
conscientious objection, some physicians believe it's
inappropriate or wrong for a physician to play an active role in
ending a patient's life. We believe there is a compelling case for
legalizing assisted dying, but assisted dying need not be
physician-assisted.
Under the DWDA, the patient's physician prescribes lethal
medication after confirming the prognosis and elucidating the
alternatives for treatment and palliative care. In theory,
however, the prescription need not come from the physician.
Prognosis and treatment options are part of standard clinical
discussions, so if a physician certifies that information in
writing, patients could conceivably go to an independent
authority to obtain the prescription. We envision the
development of a central state or federal mechanism to confirm
the authenticity and eligibility of patients' requests, dispense
medication, and monitor demand and use. This process would
have to be transparent, with strict oversight. Such a mechanism
would not only obviate physician involvement beyond usual
care but would also reduce gaps in care coordination: in Oregon

5. and Washington, patients whose doctors don't wish to
participate in assisted dying must find another provider to
acquire a prescription. Physicians who strongly object to the
practice could potentially refuse to provide certification or
could even alter their prognosis, but these possibilities yield the
same outcome as permitting conscientious objection. Patients
could also provide an independent authority with their medical
record as proof of their prognosis.
Such a mechanism would make it essential for physicians to
offer high-quality palliative care. The availability of assisted
suicide in Oregon seems to have galvanized efforts to ensure
that it is truly a last resort, and the same should hold true
regardless of who writes the prescription. Usual care for
terminally ill patients should include a discussion of life-
preserving and palliative options so that all patients receive
care consistent with their own vision of a good death.
Momentum is building for assisted dying. With an independent
dispensation mechanism, terminally ill patients who wished to
exercise their autonomy in the dying process would have that
option, and physicians would not be required to take actions
that aren't already part of their commitment to providing high-
quality care.
Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the
full text of this article at NEJM.org.
Source Information
From the Department of Orthopedic Surgery (J.J.Z.P.) and the
Center for Bioethics (L.S.L.), Brigham and Women's Hospital;
and the Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School
(L.S.L.) — both in Boston.
ANGELS AND DEMONS THL 3790.01 • Spring 2018
Fr. Francis J. Caponi, O.S.A. MWF 10:30-11:20 • Tolentine
309

6. Research Papers: Guidelines and Timetable
Length: 10 pages, including bibliography
Research Discussion: Students are welcome, but not required, to
meet with me anytime up to
Monday, March 19th, to discuss themes and bibliography.
Outline: No later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 23rd, students
must submit by email a
one-page outline of their proposed paper. (See the example
below.)
Paper Submission: Papers are due at the start of class on
Monday, April 30th.
Guidelines for Papers: Checklist
__________1. You may use both sides of the paper, as long as
the paper is of sufficient quality to
maintain easy legibility on both sides. The paper must be
STAPLED in the upper
left-hand corner.
__________2. Use 12-point font with 1-inch margins all around.
__________3. Double-space.
__________4. The first page is not numbered, but all
succeeding pages should be.
__________5. The paper must have no marks on it (pen, pencil,
white-out, etc.).
__________6. The paper must be carefully proofread, with

7. proper attention given to spelling,
grammar, and punctuation. This is a major part of the grade.
Bibliography
Students may use books, articles, websites, television programs,
class lectures and notes from
previous courses at Villanova, conversations with
experts/specialists, etc. All such sources must
be properly documented (see next section). The bibliography
must contain no fewer than 8 items,
at least 4 of which must be published works (either ebook or
print). If in doubt about the
acceptability of a source, check with me.
Format
In all matters concerning quotations, punctuation, footnotes,
and bibliography, students are to
follow Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Research
Papers, Theses, and Chicago Guides to
Writing, Editing, and Dissertations, 8th Edition, revised by
Wayne C. Booth et al. (Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 2013). A copy of this is available
on the Blackboard content page
for this course. Students are to use the “Notes-Bibliography”
style (chapter 17), with footnotes,
not endnotes. Be sure to look at the examples provided on
pp.392 and 394.
Topics
Anything substantial, interesting, and related to what we have
covered in class. For example:

8. • how angels/demons have been portrayed in art, architecture,
literature, film, music (e.g.,
demons in 18th century theater, angels in American cemetery
statuary)
• angels/demons in non-Christian religious traditions
• efforts to investigate scientifically angels/demons
• historical incidents (the Angel of Mons, the Angel of Peace at
Fatima)
• the influence of the book of Revelation on subsequent
depictions of Satan
• popular conceptions of angels/demons in a particular culture
Policies on Extensions; Penalties for Lateness
1. Requests for extensions should be made only for a serious
reason, generally an unexpected
situation beyond the student’s control. I decide whether this is
the case or not. Athletic
events, job interviews, and non-emergency travel plans do not
qualify.
2. A request for an extension must be made at least 48 hours in
advance, i.e., before 11:30 a.m.
of Saturday, April 27th.
3. Requests can be made only via email.
4. Papers can be submitted only at the start of class, unless I
have specifically given a student
permission to do otherwise.
5. Students must submit their own papers, unless I have
specifically given a student permission to
do otherwise.

9. 6. Papers submitted after the start of class will be docked 5
points.
7. Papers submitted after the assigned date will be docked 5
points per day.
Please note: An excused absence is not the same thing as a
paper extension. For example, you
may be excused (with proper documentation) because of an
athletic event or job interview,
but your paper is still due at the start of that class. You must
ask permission for another
student to submit it.
N.B. Printer problems do not excuse late submissions. Make
sure you complete your
paper with time to spare, in the event that the closest printer is
unavailable.
Angels and Demons: THL 3790.01 • Research Papers -
Guidelines and Timetables • Spring 2018 / Page 2
Outline Example
Name
Course title and number
Date
Topic: Persian influence on the later Old Testament and post-
biblical portraits of Satan
Goal: This paper will consider the contested question of
whether, and to what degree, Persian/

10. Iranian ideas played a role in the development and final forms
of the depiction of Satan in
post-exilic Judaism, both canonical and extra-canonical.
Key Points/Questions:
1. The general question of whether, where, and to what degree
Persian ideas and language
influenced Second Temple Judaism has by no means received a
uniform answer in recent
decades.
2. Scholars may make vague references to “undoubted Persian
influence” on post-exilic
demonology, but offer few specifics. Often, these claims are
based on similarities of plot
and character - parallels, rather than clearly demonstrated
dependencies.
3. Rather than regarding Satan as a “foreign import,” is it
possible to regard other religious
traditions, such as Zoroastrianism, as catalysts which caused the
Jewish religion to
develop latent elements in its own traditions?
Important Vocabulary:
1. pseudepigrapha
2. apocrypha
3. dualism
Bibliography:
Barr, James. “The Question of Religious Influence: The Case of
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and
Christianity.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 53,
no. 2 (June 1985): 201-235.

11. Carus, Paul. The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil.
London: Kegan Paul/Trench, Trüber &
Co., 1900.
Hamilton, Victor P. “Satan.” In The Anchor Bible Dictionary.
Vol. 5. Edited by David Noel
Freedman, 985–989. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Langton, Edward. Essentials of Demonology: A Study of Jewish
and Christian Doctrine, Its
Origin and Development. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock,
2014.
Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from
Antiquity to Primitive Christianity.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1987.
Angels and Demons: THL 3790.01 • Research Papers -
Guidelines and Timetables • Spring 2018 / Page 3
THE DIVINE LITURGY
A COMPANY WITH HEAVEN
Blessed Father Bishoi Kamel
While the Apostle John the beloved was exiled on the island of
Patmos, and was
depri ved of the Sacrifice of the Di vine Liturgy, the heavens
opened for him and he
attended the heavenly liturgy, with an altar having the souls of
martyrs under it, a
living Sacrifice (Lamb as though slain), angelic priesthood,

12. angels, and incense
which is the prayers of the saints. Thus we become aware of this
great mystery that
the Sacrifice of the Liturgy is a heavenly sacrifice. There is
only one sacrifice - that
of the Liturgy, which takes us up to heaven or opens the
heavens so we live there,
penetrating the boundaries of place and time, conquering and
breaking away those
fetters and uniting us with eternity. The Divine Liturgy makes
the mystery of Incar-
nation with its Crucifixion, Resurrection and P.drousia present
with :IS at all times in
spite of the succession of events. The Incorporeal took flesh,
and He who is beyond
time came under time l . St. Augustine says, "When God saw
man longing for
heaven, He gave him His Body and Blood on earth so he lives
by them as though in
heaven." "When we stand in Thy Holy Temple, we are counted
as those standing in
heaven."
What similarity is there between the perfection of heaven and
the contemptibility
of man? Only there in Your heart on the Cross, 0 my dear Lord,
Jesus Christ, lies
the relationship between these two entirely different things.
Heaven and man meet
here on the altar, where You are present, my God. "For God so
loved the world, that
he gave his only Son", and He gave Him to us.3
Serious Moments
The Liturgy is the greatest act that can take place in our lives. It
is the presence of

13. the Infinite in our midst, to Whom the angels bow down and at
Whose name the
devils shake and shiver. The candles and rituals used in it are
like the robes and
vestments in a royal court. The words in the Liturgy are not
merely intercessions but
rather they are tools and means of something greater. They are
tools in the hands of
[he Holy Spirit used to sanctify the offering. All the words and
acts of those around
the altar pass quickly, and before the altar all watch for the
great event. They are not
53
Fr. Francis Caponi
Sticky Note
Kamel, Bishoi. “The Divine Liturgy: A Company with Heaven.”
Coptic Church Review: A Quarterly of Contemporary Patristic
Studies 5.2 (1984): 53–57. Translated by L. Soliman.
54 JUMMER 1984 • COPTIC CHURCH REVIEW
VOLUME 5· NUMBER 2
awaiting the angel to move the waters, but are awaiting the
Holy Spirit to perform the
greatest of miracles, to touch the bread and wine and change
them into the Body and
Blood of the Lord.
We are all in our places with our hearts and prayers, without
any effort or exer-
tion. but like the musicians in a band who, in spite of the

14. different instruments they
play, are all in agreement about playing one soft melody, the
melody of the slain and
living Christ, the melody of love and sacrifice, the melody of
forgiveness by the
Blood that was shed, the melody of everlasting life.
The altar is filled with hosts of angels and saints, and in front of
the altar is that
great number of sick, lame, and paralyzed, all hoping to be
healed. They are not ly-
ing before the pool of Bethzatha, but before the altar of the
Lord of hosts, before the
holy and heavenly altar. They are not expecting an angel, but
the Creator of the
angels. All are waiting to be healed, he who is sick with the
lusts of the flesh like
Mary Magdalen, he who is impulsive and who denies Christ like
Peter, he who is
sick with fear like Nicodemus who came to Christ by night, he
who is sick with love
of wealth like Zacchaeus, the murderer and thief like the thief
on Calvary, and
countless numbers who do not cease moaning and suffering;
through the Sacrifice
all expect healing, salvation and everlasting life.
The Church is a hospital for diseases of the body, soul and
spirit as is said in the
litany of the sick,
"Extend, 0 Lord, Thy mercy and compassion to them and heal
them.
Take away, 0 Lord, from them and from us too all traces of
sickness
and infirmity.

15. Those who are still sick, 0 Lord, grant them recovery.
Those who are afflicted by evil spirits, 0 Lord, do Thou release
them.
Those who are in prison, dungeon, exile or captivity, 0 Lord, do
Thou set them free and have mercy upon them.
For Thou untiest the manacled and upliftest the fallen ...
Thou the eternal and true Physician of our souls and bodies, the
Prelate of all flesh, accord us Thy salvation."4
"The Divine Liturgy is thus a hospital:' as St. John Chrysostom
says, "where
God does not ask for punishment of the sinners but for their
forgiveness".
Participation of the Angels in the Service of the Liturgy
In the beginning of the Liturgy of the Faithful, the deacon says,
"Lift up your eyes
towards the East to see the Body and Blood of Emmanuel our
Lord on the altar, the
angels and archangels stand there covering their faces before
the brightness of the
majesty of His glory." The priest starts by proclaiming the
presence of the angels in
their nine ranks who come to join in prayers, "Before Whom
stand the Angels, the
THE DIVINE LITURGY 55
A COMPANY WITH HEAVEN
Archangels, the heads, the dominions, the thrones, the
dignitaries, the powers, ...
the Cherubim ... and the Seraphim."5

16. St. Theodore says, "The two deacons on either side of the altar
are symbolic of
the two angels standing by the tomb at the time of the
Resurrection because the altar
stands for the tomb where the Sacrifice was laid." Also the
presence of a deacon by
the Sacrifice symbolizes the presence of the angel who tended
to the, Lord in the
Garden of Gethsemane during His suffering as a sacrifice
because the Sacrifice of
the Liturgy is itself the Sacrifice of the suffering of the Lord.
At the end of the Liturgy, the priest asks the angel of the
Sacrifice, as he ascends
up to the Lord with our praises, to remember us with the Lord
just as the angel took
up to heaven the prayers of Cornelius. (Acts 10:4)
Our Union with the Angels in Praise
Glory be to our Lord Who by His Incarnation and Sacrifice on
the Cross recon-
ciled the heavenly with the earthly and made them one.
The angels do not cease night or day saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy,
is the Lord God
Almighty, ... " (Rev. 4:8; Isaiah 6:3), and we sing their song in
the Liturgy, "Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts."
In this regard St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, " ... We recite this
divine praise which
we have received from the Seraphim (Isaiah 6:3) so we can
share in the same praise
of blessing with these heavenly hosts."

17. Sl. John Chrysostom says, " ... All the heavenly powers come
and sing this song
and the area around the altar is filled with the angels that gather
to honor the
Sacrifice ... All the angels share intercession with the priest ...
The spiritual fire of
the Holy Spirit descends from heaven. and blood gushes from
the side of the pure
Lamb into the chalice to purify our souls ... So with what right
do you dare 0 Chris-
tian to attend the offering of this Sacrifice without reverence'?
... The Church is
heaven itself!" He also says, 'The time of the Sacrifice is the
most appropriate time
to ask God. The angels seize this happy occassion to ask for us
various graces and
to intercede on our behalf with greater fervor."
During the Liturgy, the angels stand among us. "Thou hast
strengthened the
chorus of the incorporeal among the people," says the Gregorian
Liturgy ... We also
sing their song, "Thou hast given those on earth the praises of
the Seraphim."
The Church has called the saints earthly angels or heavenly
men. The Coptic ar-
tist used to picture some of the saints with six wings like the
Seraphim to express the
angelic nature of the saint. (The icon of St. Tac1a Haimonot is a
typical example.)
When we stand for the morning prayer we say, "Let us sing with
the angels say-
ing: Glory be to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill
towards men."6

18. Service of the Angels for us During the Liturgy
St. John the Short, used to see the angels during the Liturgy. He
saw the devils
surrounding the people to prevent them from entering the
church, while an angel
56 SUMMER 1984 • COPTIC CHURCH REVIEW
VOLUME 5 • NUMBER 2
carrying a sword helped them by the hand to attend. The angels
help the faithful
because they rejoice when one sinner repents. They offer the
prayers and the offer-
ings up to heaven as the priest says in the prayer of the
oblation, "May it have access
to Thy Grandeur through the ministry of Thy blessed Angels
and Archangels."7
Out of their love for us 'they sing the song of our victory and
salvation with a
voice full of glory; as the Gregorian Liturgy says. This is
explained in the book of
Revelation when the twenty-four priests sing saying, "Worthy
art thou to take the
scroll, and to open its seals, for thou wast slain, and by thy
blood didst ransom men
for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and
hast made them a
kingdom and priests to our God," (Rev. 5:9,10)
How to Stand with the Angels
L As the liturgy of the faithful starts with the presence of the

19. angels, the priest
proclaims the presence of the Lord saying. "The Lord be with
you all," and later
cries, "Lift your hearts". The people respond, "They are with the
Lord." The angels
cover their faces out of holy fear and our hearts should remain
in all reverence with
the Lord; the Divine Liturgy is like standing before the Lord.
During the Divine
Liturgy, the Holy Trinity is present together with the Royal
Court members (the
angels and the saints). That is why the priest who neglects
offering the Liturgy ac-
tually deprives himself and the Church of honoring and
glorifying the Holy Trinity.
He also deprives the angels of the joy of attending, the sinners
of forgiveness, the
faithful of help and the dead of mercy.
2. The praises of the angels revolve around the ford "Holy".
Without holiness we
shall never behold the Lord, and without it we cannot
participate in the Sacrifice of
the Liturgy. God is Holy and we should also be holy. So with
what tears and contri-
tion ought we to ask for holiness and struggle for its sake even
unto death? The
Divine Liturgy is a gathering of the sanctified people and the
holy angels in the
presence of the Holy One, because "The Holies are for the
holy." The Liturgy of SL
Cyril says,
"As you purified the lips of Thy servant the prophet Isaiah when
the

20. Seraphim took a burning coal with tongs from the altar, put it in
his
mouth, and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt
is
taken away, and your sin forgiven, so also we, Thy weak and
sinful
servants, do implore Thy mercy; purify our souls, our bodies,
our
lips, and our hearts and grant us this burning coal that gives life
to the
spirit, the body and the soul, which is the Holy Body and
Honored
Blood of Thy Christ."
3.The angels are humble and the devils are haughty. The angels
cover their faces
and glorify in fear and reverence. This is why he who wishes to
attend the Divine
Liturgy with the angclll, should listen to the words of the
deacon, "Stand up in fear
of the Lord", and, "Bow your heads before the Lord."
THE DIVINE LITURGY 57
A COMPANY WITH HEAVEN
"Thus humility and the feeling of need, together with a contrite
heart. similar to
the publican who stood with a bowed head are a requirement for
attending the
Liturgy."8
The deacons and choir should not sing with pride or loud
voices, but rather with
soft angelic voices and with reverence, as the Didascalia says.

21. Translated by Lily Soliman
References
1. Theotokia of Wednesday, in the Daily Office.
2. Prayer of the third hour. In:The Agpeya. Los Angeles, CA.:
Sts. Athanasius
and Cyril of Alexandria Orthodox Publications, 1982.
3. Charles de Foucauld
4. EM. Ishak: A Complete Translation of the Coptic Orthodox
Mass and the
Liturgy of St. Basil. Toronto, Ontario, 1973; p. 31
5. Ibid,: p. 89
6. The Agpeya: Op. Cit.
7. F. M. Ishak: Op. Cit.; p. 33
8. From an article by Father Matta El-Meskeen, "Bow your
heads", in St. Mark
Monthly Review.
Angels and Demons 3790
23 March 2018
Topic: Conceptions of angels in Coptic Orthodoxy
Goal: This paper will consider the conceptions of angels in
Coptic Orthodoxy, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed
through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah and an oriental
Egyptian Christianity based in Egypt. Various publications will
be used to compare the Islamic and Coptic Orthodox
conceptualization of angels.
Key Points:
1. Is there a physical embodiment of angels and do angels have
a purpose in both Islam and Coptic Orthodoxy?

22. 2. Do angels have rank and differing functions?
3. What or whom influenced the conception of angels in Islam
compared to Coptic Orthodoxy?
Important Vocabulary:
1. Conception
2. Embodiment
3. Rank
Bibliography:
Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States - Q&A,
www.suscopts.org/q&a/index.php?qid=118&catid=31.
The Angels, 28 Oct. 2000,
tasbeha.org/content/hh_books/the_angels/.
“Holy Angels.” Orthodox Christian Resource Center, 11 Jan.
2011, theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/ocrc/2009/06/holy-angels/.
“The Heavenly Hosts.” Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los
Angeles, lacopts.org/orthodoxy/our-faith/the-heavenly-hosts/.
Burge, Stephen Russell. ANGELS IN ISLAM . Mar. 2009,
core.ac.uk/download/pdf/279738.pdf.
Syed, Ibrahim B. “The Muslim Belief in Angels.” The Muslim
Belief in Angels, Islamic Research Foundation International,
Inc, 1998,
www.irfi.org/articles/articles_1_50/muslim_belief_in_angels.ht
m.