Bishop Raphael, former secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church held several meetings with priests and congregation of the Coptic Church in Australia to study the problems of the diocese after the resignation of Bishop of the diocese. Abba Raphael has also met with Bishop Suriel and reassured the congregation on his health conditions.

The official spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church said that Bishop Eklimidus of Almaza, El-Haghana and East Nasr City, has ordained 44 new deacons at the rank of Ebsaltus. The ordination ceremony was carried out at the church of St. Mina and St. Kirilus in Hagana.

The official spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church said Bishop Bvnotius of Samalot ordained 90 new deacons at the rank of Oghnostos (reader). The new deacons were assigned to the ministry in 3 villages in Samalot. The ordination ceremony was conducted at the Cathedral of the Savior of the World.

A delegation of the French International Association of Christian Religious sites around the world visited the Cathedral of St. Mark in Alexandria, where they were received by Father Abbam Emil, the Patriarchal Vicar General in Alexandria. The visit comes within the framework of including the Church as part of the important religious tourist attractions in the course of the Holy Familys journey to Egypt.

Bishop Sharubim or Esna and Armant ordained 3 new priests to serve in Qena. The new priests rate Father Bsentaus, Zosima and Athanasius.

An eyewitness told Copts united that police in Omrania, Cairo, was reported about two bombs planted near the Church of the Virgin and Angel Michael on Thalathini Street in Omrania. A member of the security team assigned to the church discovered two boxes of wood with a copper wire and immediately informed the authorities whom sent bomb squat teams to investigate the matter and find out who put the boxes.

Father Armanios Farid, Priest of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Luxor, perfumed today the remains of St. Wannas. Martyr Wannas have been martyred in Upper Egypt and his body is buried in the down town Luxor city.

Melbourne Coptic Priests’ Synod decided that a committee of Melbourne priests are going to manage the diocese after the resignation of Bishop Suriel. They declared that the committee will be working under Pope Tawadros II and will concentrate mainly on the services to keep the peace of the church, and will issue a weekly report to inform the congregation on all updates.

His Holiness Bishop Barnabas of Turin and Rome celebrated the Holy Mass at the Church of St. Mina and Pope Cyril VI in Florence, 300 km north of Rome. During the Liturgy, he ordained 3 new deacons at the rank of Ebsaltus.

The Coptic child Matthew Maguid Victor won first place in the fifth international exhibition for innovation organized by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Nasr City in Cairo on 8-9 November. Dr. Ali Abbas Dandrawi, Vice President of Aswan University and Coordinator of the Child University, said that Matthew has presented a project in the field of electronics and his idea was about a smart waste box that aims to create a clean environment free of waste and various diseases and contribute to job creation for young people and to increase the national income of the state through the sale of these wastes.

Police in Qena have taken extra security measures to secure the celebrations of St. George in Mahrousa village, Qena. This comes as after thousands of visitors are currently visiting the monastery to celebrate the feast of establishing the first Church on the name of St. George in Palestine.

Abba Suriel, Coptic Bishop of Melbourne, shut his Facebook page couple of days after he offered his resignation. He wrote: Dear Facebook friends, I thank you for our warm messages full of love and also the ones with negative messages. There is now no longer a need for this page and I will be shutting it down b the end of today. I wish you all the best and every success in your daily lives and in your spiritual journeys. God bless and good bye .

Abba Hidra, Archbishop of Aswan, celebrates his first Holy Mass after being healed in the United States of America next Saturday with Abba Sarabamoun in St. Monica Church in California. Bisho Hidra has underwent two operations to change right and left knee joints.

In a message published by Abba Daniel, bishop of St. Shenouda monastery in New South Wales, and Bishop Danil of Sydney, the bishops expressed their shock at the resignation of Bishop Suriel of Melbourne praying that God may give him wisdom to take on his responsibility to support his people. The bishops also demanded the people of Australia to pray and fast to receive heavenly wisdom and solution. It is worth mentioning that the priests of Austrlia had called Bishop Suriel to waive his resignation remembering his great works in the diocese and defending Christian faith.

Under the auspices of Bishohp Sherobim of Qena, the Church of St. George in Mahrousa village celebrates a spiritual renaissance for two weeks. The celebrations include sermons and spiritual songs and taking blessings of the holy relics.

Isis militants ambushed three buses carrying Christian pilgrims on their way to a remote desert monastery south of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, killing seven and wounding 19, according to the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Interior Ministry. The victims had left St Samuel the Confessor monastery in Minya shortly before the attack on Friday. All but one of those killed were members of the same family, according to a list of the victims names released by the church.

St. George monastery in Rizeigat received today the Director of Security of Luxor in an inspection visit to the Monastery to prepare for the annual celebration starting on November 10th. Extra security measures are taken to secure the celebrations in Rizeigat, Luxor, which are attended by thousands of Coptic and Muslim people.

The Coptic American organization in Eastern of the United States called to a protest on Sunday in front of the Israeli consulate in New York to denounce the violent practices taken by the Israeli police against the Coptic monks in the monastery of Sultan in Jerusalem. Israeli forces have been dragging Monk Macarius Orshalemy along the ground before forcibly handcuffing him. The monk was pinned down for several minutes before being yanked to his feet and carried away to be detained.

Thousands of Christians around the world began a signing campaign to stop the Israeli attack on the Coptic monastery of the Sultan in Jerusalem. The campaign appealed to the United Nations, Human Rights Organization, the US Senate and officials of the White House to stop the attacks by the Israeli police forces on the monastery and the use excessive force. Ownership of the monastery has been always to the Coptic orthodox church that had all the documents to prove so, and had a decision of the high Israeli court which said that the monastery known by the locals as Deir al sultan must back to the hand of the Coptic church the soley owner of it.

Israeli soldiers and police officers are using unacceptable and excessive use of force on Coptic monks and deacons as they lawfully protested the execution of an order that contravenes a standing Israeli Supreme Court ruling on property in favor of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Coptic clergy, accompanying His Eminence Archbishop Antonios, Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop of Jerusalem, were peacefully demonstrating at the Sultan Monastery in Jerusalem s Old City, officially the property of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Urgent restoration work has been needed for some time, and the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate had offered on numerous occasions to carry out the required work itself, but was refused. This work is now being carried out by Israeli authorities on their own terms, without the approval of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, and while preventing Archbishop Antonios access throughout.

Christian Students Union concluded today its meeting entitled Peace-building and Anti-Violence in Lebanon from October 8 to 14. Young people from several Arab countries participated in the conference including Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Sudan. After the meeting, the participants visited the Sabra and Shatila camp in order to learn about the activities presented in the camp.