Makary Younan

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, Father Makary and his wife had both contracted COVID-19 in late December 2021, and were subsequently hospitalized. Younan's wife preceded him in death on 7 January 2022, and Younan passed shortly thereafter on 11 January 2022, at the age of 87.

Father Makary was not a stranger to criticism and disdain, both from inside the Coptic Church and from the general population. He faced charges of religious disdain in 2017 after making remarks on Islam on live TV. The remarks were misconstrued and the charges were later dropped.

Father Makary Younan (Arabic: أبونا مكاري يونان) born Sabry Younan Abd El-Malek (Arabic: صبري يونان عبد الملك); 1 March 1934 - 11 January 2022) was a prominent Coptic Orthodox priest. Known for his exorcisms, powerful preaching, prayer and geniality, he was widely venerated among Christians and Muslims alike, attracting a wide population to his Friday meetings, held at the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya, Cairo, the Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope until 1971.

Sabry Younan Abd El-Malek was born in Sohag, Egypt, on 1 March 1934. After earning a Bachelor of Science in 1957, Sabry went on to earn a second bachelor's degree from the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary (colloquially known as the "Clerical College" in Egypt) in 1974. Sabry was ordained a presbyter by the late Metropolitan Mikhail of Assiut on July 18, 1976, and given the name "Makary", which he kept until his death. Up until his ordination, he had worked for the Egyptian government for 19 years, where he resigned his position in 1976 in order to fully take on the duties of becoming a priest. Younan had only served a few weeks in Assiut after his ordination, and was later relocated to the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Azbakeya, Cairo, which became the primary church that he served in for 44 years.