The Coptic Orthodox Church on Wednesday extended the voter registration process for papal elections from June to mid-July.The new pope will succeed Pope Shenouda III, who died on 17 March at the age of 89, after a long struggle with disease.
The extension will allow Copts in Russia and Eastern Europe to participate.
Interim Pope Bishop Pachomius wanted all church followers to help choose the next pope no matter how far away they live, according to Bishop Marcos, the church leader of Shubra al-Kheima district and head of the Registration Committee for the election.
He also said the extension of the voter registration process would delay the election until late October or November. He estimated that 2,500 Copts would vote and said 1,900 have already registered.
Only the candidates and enrolled voters have the right to appeal the election result to the Nominations Committee, Marcos said.
The committee did not nominate a candidate because it wanted to remain neutral, although bylaws give it the right to do so, Marcos said.
The committee will declare the candidates' names at the Pontifical Office when registration ends.
The selection process could take months.
Under bylaws issued in 1957, the pope is elected by bishops and prominent Copts, including former and current government officials and newspaper owners and editors.
Following voting, a blindfolded child will pick a name out of a hat containing the names of the three candidates with the highest number of votes.
Candidates must be at least 40 years old and have spent at least 15 years in monastic life.
Shenouda's death marked the end of an era in which he played a pivotal role in the unprecedented expansion of the Coptic Church abroad.
Under Shenouda’s tenure, the Coptic Church spread in the West, especially in the United States where the number of Coptic churches jumped from four in 1971 to more than 100 at the time of his death.
The pope also established branches of the Coptic Seminary in America, Australia and the United Kingdom.