Iraqi Cabinet announced this week that December 25-26 is declared an official holiday every year. On December 9, Patriarch Louis Raphael Sacco, the Chaldean Patriarch of Iraq, submitted a request to the Iraqi government to approve a Christmas holiday on the 25th of December.

Abba Ibrahim Ishaq, Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church of Egypt, presides today over the Christmas Mass at the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary in Nasr City, in the presence of leaders of the Catholic Church in Egypt. The celebration will be attended by a number of officials and will be covered by local and international media. In a related context, the Pope of Alexandria and the rest of Africa of the Greek Orthodox, Abba Thodoros II, will hold the Christmas Mass on Tuesday at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Hamzawi.

Abba Moussa, Bishop of youth, traveled yesterday to London to undergo medical tests. He had visited London in 2015 after suffering from a heart attack.

Pope Tawasdros, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, received in the papal headquarter of St. Bishoy monastery the family of martyrs Imad and David who have been recently killed by policeman in Minya. Pope offered his sincere condolences in the death of the father and his son assuring that God is in control and will make everything work for the good.

Pope Francis called on Sunday all international groups to treat refugees well. He added that the "Global Compact on Migration", which took place this week in Marrakech, Morocco should help providing more secure migration and called the international groups to provide refugees with all kindness and compassion.

Abba Yoannis, Bishop of Assiut, published a video on social media networks to reassure his children on his health conditions after he had a car accident. He said that he will return to Assiut within 5 days

Social media activists shared a video for the first choir for the elderly in Mallawy, Minya. People commented on the video saying that praising the Lord shouldn t stop at certain age, but it simply comes out of the heart to reach the heart as well.

Abba Pachom, Bishop of Suhag, ordained two new priests for the ministry in the diocese. The ordination ceremony was attended by HG Bishop Ologious, Bishop of St. Shenouda monastery in Suhag.

In a recent television interview, Pope Tawadros II, said that the relations between the Coptic Orthodox church and the Ethiopian Church are good. He added that the problem of Sultan monastery is political and the Israeli government is manipulating the situation for political reasons. Pope said that the church is following legal procedures through a Coptic lawyer.

Abba Pachom, Bishop of Suhag, ordained two new priests for the ministry in the diocese. The ordination ceremony was attended by HG Bishop Ologious, Bishop of St. Shenouda monastery in Suhag.

Pope Tawadros, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, held a meeting yesterday at the papal headquarter with students of the American University in Cairo. during the meting Pope answered their questions and discussed a number of problems facing young people.

Bishop Markos of Shubra al-Khaymah met with Nasser Hamdi, Ambassador of Egypt to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and members of the Embassy and a number of Christian community. This came during the visit of His Eminence to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is worth mentioning that Bishop Markos met yesterday with Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, Secretary of the Muslim World League, in his office in Riyadh.

The Coptic churches in Kafr El-Sheikh celebrated today the enthronement of its new Bishop Abba Markos. The celebration was attended by governor of Kafr El-Sheikh and several senior officials in addition to members of the holy synod bishop Paula and bishop Youannis. He was born in 1966, in the village of Hessa Melig in the Egyptian governorate of Menoufia, and graduated from the Faculty of Commerce in 1987 and served for a short time as a public employee. In 1997, he was ordained a monk in the monastery of St. Mina in Mariout and became a priest in 2007. His Holiness Pope Twadros II ordained him as a general bishop in 2014, and was chosen by His Holiness Pope Twadros II to be the bishops of Damietta, and Kafr El Sheikh.

Pope Tawadros, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, held a meeting today with members of the World Christian Union of Student at the Papal headquarter of St. Bishoy Monastery in Wadil Natroun. During the meeting, they discussed the role of young people to build the home land and spreading peace all over the world, especially with the increasing violence and wars.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, received today to Coptic nuns from Ireland at the papal headquarters at the Grand Cathedral of St. Mark. Sister Filomina and Kirila from St. George Coptic monastery for nuns in Ireland talked with the Pope about the Egyptian history and the Path of the holy family in Egypt.

Metropolitan Markos of Shubra al-Khaimah celebrated yesterday the first Holy Mass in Saudi Arabia. During his visit to the Saudi Arabia he met with several senior officials as well as members of the Coptic congregation in the Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had met with the Coptic Pope at Cairo s largest Coptic cathedral last March, which was an unprecedented visit and a nice gesture followed by allowing Copts to celebrate the Holy Mass in Saudi Arabia.

Abba Hedra, Metropolitan of Aswan, returned to Cairo after completing his therapeutic trip to America. He was received at the airport by many of the congregation who came to wish him speedy recovery after he underwent an operation to replace Knee Joint.

The delegation of the Greek Orthodox Church visited the Monastery of St. Mina in Mariout after they were blessed by the relics of St. Mark in Alexandria. The delegation included Bishop Agnathios, Archbishop of Volos, Bishop Christostomos, Archbishop of Zhozonis, AbbaYoannis, Archbishop of Pendelis Monastery, and Archimandrite Speridhan Katermanos. They were received yesterday by Bishop Pavlos, Coptic Bishop of Greece.

The first hearing of the man accused of attacking St. George Church in Ain Shams will be held on November 28. Police investigations suggested the man has mental disorder and that he doesn t belong to any terrorist group.

Patriarchs of the East held the 26th conference in Baghdad to discuss the situation of Christians of the Middle East. The conference lasts till the end of the month, and today they celebrated the holy mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Deliverance, after eight years have passed on its terrorist attack.

Fatwa Observatory of Al-Azhar said that terrorists celebrated the Prophet s Birthday by exploding Mosques and Kill the worshippers. The terrorist attacks reached 33 that were carried out by 12 terrorist organization and the victims of the attacks reached 685.