His Eminence Bishop Ilarion of Churches in West Alexandria, issued a statement regarding the events of Wardian, which resulted in the killing of a Copt and the injury of two others. Statement assured that the defendants had insulted Christians and Christianity and the priests of the church before they attacked the Copts using white weapons.

The attorney general for the Minya Prosecutors decided to renew the imprisonment of 35 accused in the events of the village of Al-Barsha including 15 Copts and 20 Muslims, for 15 days pending investigation. Lawyers of the Copts assured that their crime is defengin the churches and Coptic houses against the mobs who attacked them, but police arrested them and accuse them without any proof.

The monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor in Jabal Al-Qalamoun in Minya Governorate announced that no visitors will be allowed in the monastery during the coming period as part of the preventive measures to prevent the spread of Corona virus. Statement added that the celebrations of the feast of St. Samuel will be limited to the monks of the monastery for the first time in its history.

Ambassador Nabila Makram, Minister of State for Immigration and Egyptians Affairs Abroad, mourned Father Mark Abdel-Masih, priest of St. Mark s Church in Toronto, and the first Egyptian Orthodox priest in Canada and North America. This came in the statement of the Ministry of Immigration today, which stated that Father Mark departed after more than half a century of priestly service and a performing a great role of supporting Egyptians abroad.

The Intercultural Dialogue Forum at the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, started implementing its first activities with the project "Promoting the Values and Practices of Citizenship in Minya Governorate" in partnership with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which includes 8 villages in Minya. The Forum works to spread the values and practices of citizenship and promoting the principles of teamwork, to target all groups of community leaders, youth, women and children.

The Coptic Orthodox Church decided to suspend services in the churches of Cairo and Alexandria in order to confront the outbreak of the Corona virus. Statement said that services will be suspended for one month and the celebration of the month of Kiahk evenings will be suspended completely in order to prevent the spread of Corona virus.

The security services in Ismailia succeeded in returning the disappeared Coptic girl Justina Talaat, 24 years old . Justina was reported missing last week by her family at the village of Sirabium in Islamilia. No further information were revealed about her disappearance.

The Minya Prosecutor decided today to imprison 15 Copts and 20 Muslims in the village of Al-Barsha pending investigation in the sectarian attacks of Al-Barsha village, Mallawi Center, in Minya, which took place last Wednesday. A number of houses owned by Copts were attacked by extremists after publishing a comment of a Coptic youth on Facebook, which was considered as insulting of Islam. Police arrested more than 150 defendants and decided to extend the imprisonment of 35 of them pending investigation.

Unidentified persons set fire to a number of Coptic shacks in agricultural lands in the village of Al-Barsha, Mallawi Center. The fire erupted late last night and destroyed 6 shacks. On the other hand the customary reconciliation session to make peace in the village was canceled and several Copts reported increasing tension in the village and that Muslims refuse to deal with them anymore after the sectarian clashes.

An old lady called Estolia Farajallah survived her burning injuries after her house was attacked in sectarian attacks in Barsha village, Minya. Her families denied rumors spread about her death in hospital and assured her health condition is stable. Sources in the village said that at least 100 people were arrested in the attacks including 35 Coptic Christians.

After a rumor spread in the village of Al-Barsha in Mallawi that a Coptic young man published an article on Facebook that was seen as insulting for Islam and Prophet Muhamed, extremists in the village attacked houses of the Copts and threw stones and Molotov cocktails shouting Allah Akbar. Security reinforcements arrived in the village trying to break up the gathering against the Copts and the Church of the village whose bus was demolished.

The priests of the churches of Paris and northern France issued a statement to support Bishop Marc of the diocese after news spread about division in the service and disagreement between its spiritual leaders. Pope Tawadros II had decided to return monk Afraim who served in the diocese to his monstery, whcih was not welcomed by some people who loved him.

The local development unit of the Coptic Evangelical Commission For social services, in partnership with the Arab Network for Non-Governmental Organizations, held the third meeting on the project to improve the living conditions of women in the informal sector, funded by the European Union. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Coptic Evangelical Commission and discussed the best development practices in the field of informal employment for women, and issues of entrepreneurship and financial inclusion for them in Egypt and the Arab region.

His Eminence Abba Markos, Archbishop of Shubra al-Khaima, received Ivon Imad after returning safe to her family. The girl has disappeared for days before police managed to return her. Archbishop Markos and the diocese thanked all security services for doing their best to return the disappeared daughter of the church.

The family of the minor Coptic girl, Ivon Emad, who was reported missing in Shubra al-Khaymah in Qalyubia, confirmed that their daughter returned safe by the Alexandria Security services. The family added that her father had received Ivon in Alexandria after finishing the procedures. Ivon declared her Christian faith and thanked God for saving her soul from the evil plan of kidnapping her.

The Monastery of the Virgin Mary al-Muharraq in Qusiya in Assiut announced it will be closed during the fasting of the Christimas during week days and it will only be opened during weekends. Coptic monasteries are used to take extra procedures during fasting like preventing visitors to allow monks to have spiritual and quite time of worship.

Anba Begoul, Bishop and Head of the Monastery of the Virgin Mary Al Muharraq in Qusiya, opened the Holy Family Cultural Center. The opening ceremony was attended by Anba Theophilis, Bishop of Manfalut And the monks of the monastery. It is decided that the cultural center in Deir Al Muharraq will be dedicated for holding conferences, seminars, workshops and giving lectures.

The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrated today the eighth anniversary of the enthronement of Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark See. The celebration was attended by Bishops Bavli, Ilarion, and Hermina of Alexandria. It is worth mentioning that Pope was enthroned on the papal chair on November 18, 2012.

Bishop Isaac of Tima celebrated today the feats of St. George, which commemorates the establishment of the first Church on his name, which was in Palestine. The celebration was held with the participation of the congregation and priests of the diocese, amid precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Corona virus.

The monastery of St. George in Rizeigat in Luxor concluded its celebrations that lasted for 11 days. The participants celebrated the feast of establishing the first church on the name of St. George, which was in Palestine. The celebration was headed by Bishops Hedra of Aswan, Markos of Shobra al-Khaimah, Bemen of Naqada and Youannis of Assiut. It was held amid precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Corona virus.

Muslims and Christian clergy in Minya held a meeting of the initiative of making peace and dialogue to discuss how to activate principle of peaceful coexistence and changing some misconceptions in the society. The initiative called to remove religion from national ID in order to get rid of extremism and unite the Egyptian people.