The relationship between Pope Cyril VI and the late leader Gamāl ʿAbd el-Nāṣṣer, marked by affection and warmth, is depicted by Moḥammad Ḥassaneīn Heīkal in his book Autumn of Fury. Heīkal writes, “The relationship between Gamāl ʿAbd el-Nāṣṣer and Cyril VI was excellent; they had mutual admiration for each other, and it was well known that the patriarch could visit Nāṣṣer whenever he wished.” During a friendly private meeting held at the beginning of his patriarchal tenure in 1959, Pope Cyril said to Nāṣṣer: “With God's help, I will teach my children the knowledge of God, love for the homeland, and the true meaning of brotherhood, so that the nation may grow strong and united, with faith in God and love for the country.”