How painful it is to write about the martyrs at the time we supposed to rejoice. It is so sad to see innocent young people die for no good reason even though they died for their homelands. They were supposed to celebrate the feast and may have visited the graves according to the Egyptian customs to remember the dear ones who died, but they may have never expected to join them on that day! The recent terrorist attack in Sinai brought new brave soldiers into the grave whose families knew they are serving the country and willing to sacrifice their souls for it.

Lately the government announced fees to be imposed on all governmental employee in vacation forcing them pay for health insurance while they are away. Sisi and the Egyptian government make their best to let all Egyptian hate themselves by taking very severe economic measures and by annoying them even while they are away on vacation.

A Coptic Christian woman from Shousha village in Minya disappeared before she appeared declaring she had converted into Islam and got married to a Muslim man. She decided to return to the village and dwell in the house next to her family. Fanatics in the village are trying to humiliate the Copts in the village by celebrating their victory of catching this woman. They are even trying to attack a number of Copts to incite a sectarian strife. Indeed freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution, but according to the law, she must get divorced from her Christian husband before she gets married to another.

The death of Christ was meant to give life. Death couldn t stand up to the force of life in Him. Resurrection made his death a sacrifice, power, and glory. Father Ibrahim Azer, priest of St. Paul and St. Anthony Church in Beni Suef, said in his article entitled Head of life that Lord Jesus decided to be such sacrifice on behalf of the whole world in order to give it salvation. Through His death, Jesus Christ invited us to carry the cross with joy and giving thanks. He accepted pain and didn t escape from death. Moreover, he declared he was Christ, but didn t perform any miracle during the judgment process till he died.

As the Egyptian universities are trying to improve the quality of education, the Dutch Leiden classification listed 5 Egyptian universities out of 963 international universities. According to the report, the top five Egyptian universities have a distinguished publication during the period 2014-2017, in the top 10% of the international journals. Of the 963 universities, Cairo University ranked 341 worldwide, after publishing 194 papers, Ain Shams University ranked 582 in the world after publishing 105 papers, And the University of Mansoura ranked 681 globally, after publishing 97 research, The University of Alexandria ranked seventh in the world after publishing 91 papers. Zagazig University ranked 8th in the world after publishing 72 papers.

Makram Ebid Pasha once prayed saying: May God make us Muslims and Christians share love of this country. His statement simplifies the concept of citizenship and belonging to the homeland. We may argue and disagree in opinion, but the ultimate goal remains building humans who share love and respect one another. Humans have lost such good deeds and feelings as wars spread all over the world. Such poor migrating people can’t find others to help them and give them what they need. People are looking forward to finding new homeland that they can live in peace and find their basic needs without facing discrimination.

Finally, Mohamad Salah could achieve on of the most valuable championship in the Europe. We all were waiting for this moment to come. We say how Salah was playing well and be striker of the England league for two times in a row. Salah did his best this year with his team to be able to achieve the England league, but they lost it was only one-point difference between Liverpool and Manchester city. Salah although he didn t take part in the second match against Barcelona, however, he wore a T-shirt saying, “Never give up” and Liverpool did the miracle and won against Barcelona 4-0. Salah T-Shirt became the slogan for every Egyptian and everyone tries to keep the hope up while the Egyptian football team close to start the African championship. We all hope that the Egyptian team will do good and make good results to make all Egyptians happy especially after a long time of disappointing.

Do not touch me ... but go. The Lord Jesus told Mary Magdalene when she met Him after the resurrection and called on her. She was the first preacher of the resurrection of Lord Jesus. Bishop Pakhomius, Bishop of the Beheira, Matrouh and North Africa, in his article Do not touch me explained to us the meaning of the words of the Lord Jesus to Mary Magdalene, who was the first to receive the good news of the resurrection. He reminded her of His words that he will rise from the dead and wanted to show her his Divine nature. At that time, the Virgin Mary didn t go to the tomb believing her Son is mightier than death.

Marwa is a member of Robotic team, consisting of 25 students at the Faculty of Engineering, and shared a success story to design of a submarine, which carries the waste and tracks gas and oil pipelines using remote control. The submarine is not the only one designed by the team participating, but there is another submarine that they oversaw its making by secondary and primary school students in Alexandria. Marwa said to Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper that her team is the only Egyptian and Arab team participating in an international competition organized by the US Navy in Tennessee, where the lake in that city have a dam that needs maintenance, and the submarine will participate in the competition to examine the dam. The submarine was invented by the team of faculty of engineering and other students aged 11 and 17 years. Moreover, Robotics have participated in several competitions and made several designs including submarines and mechanical minesweepers and was honored from several organizations. Greetings to Marwa and her colleagues and to those who will support them in producing their invention and travel costs to the United States.

Public funeral ceremony is a popular funeral and a way to express the public s gratitude and love and appreciation of the deceased. Furthermore, it is the opportunity to respond to him for his work or positions Or sacrifices. For example, the funeral of Saad Zaghloul was a public funeral where the masses raised the coffin on her shoulders from the Opera Square to the cemetery of the Imam, which is clearly a big distance. So was the funeral of Major General Abdel Moneim Riad, who was martyred in the first rows in the war of 1973. When Jamal Abdel Nasser died, his funeral was officially and unique in the history of Egypt. It is enough that the streets of Cairo were filled with eight million mourners. The same happened with Umm Kulthum, Abdul Halim Hafez and Taha Hussein.

For long time ago Egypt was known with its free Media and everyone was able to express his opinion without censorship, however, after creating what is called the highest media authority there is no freedom of speech any more. Recently the media authority decided to stop many programs because they didn t follow what is called the “Media Ethical Chart”. Instead of resorting to the court and they determine what is with the law and what is against the law. Now This authority became a small court ready to eliminate anyone doesn t follow its chart. Unfortunately, such kind of authority will never create a free society but on contrary, create more fears and doubts among society.

Christ has risen, and His resurrection is the secret of true joy. Without resurrection there would be no church or Gospel. His resurrection changed life of man to a meaningful and valuable life. This was stated in article of Pope Tawadrous II entitled Resurrection is our joy . He explained that resurrection gave humanity true joy and satisfaction. Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. The disciples were extremely joyful after resurrection Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Despite the rapid development, humanity has not grown in joy as Mother Teresa said: The houses have grown up and families reduced, diseases increased with the development of medicine, people increased in riches and reduced their charity works, security increased, but not enough peace to be found. Now, resurrection gave us new powers like St. Paul says: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Therefore, Coptic Church celebrates the resurrection every day in the prayers and each week and each month and each year for 50 days after the Resurrection day. I wish everybody feels God s love that was manifested in his cross and resurrection.

The Zambian President Edgar Shjou Lungu and Bishop Paul of Africa opened the Coptic Hospital, which was built by the Egyptian Orthodox Church in the Zambian capital of Lokasa, one of the largest hospitals in Zambia. Pope Paul, the president and his accompanying delegation of ministers and officials, took a tour of the hospital corridors. Longo praised the modern equipment they contained and carried one of the newborn babies to the hospital.

The Egyptian Church is part of the Egyptian civilization. Its founder, St. Mark, was one of the Apostle assigned by Jesus Christ. He founded the ancient, strong, national and spiritual church. The late Pope Shenouda was wise and intellectual that he was called teacher of the generations. He was great man that represented the great Coptic Church.

The file of legalizing the status of existing and unlicensed churches is one of the important files that Watani newspaper is concerned about. The total number of churches and its services buildings, which submitted their papers to the Committee for the legalization purposes according to the law, reached 3730 churches that the committee started working on them on 28 September 2017. The Committee issued its last decision on April 21, 2019, which was published in the newspaper as well. This decision was issued by the Prime Minister to reveal the number of legalized churches, which reached 111 churches and service buildings. The total number of the legalized churches reached then 864 churches out of 3730, which represents 23% in 20 months. This means that 2866 churches and services buildings are waiting, which represents 77% of the total work. This means that it would take 66 month in addition to the previous 20 months.

Paid my attention today one news about the death of Khaled Saeed’s Mother. I totally recognized when i read this news how painful could be when someone dies and feel absence of justice. Her son died and people killed him free or sentenced few years comparing to their action. One of the main things destroy societies is lack of justice and people feel they have fair channels to resort to when they want.

We have to thank the Egyptian Foreign Ministry for its successes, cooperation and openness to countries such as China, India and Russia, as well as the African countries. This leads us to think more about the potential wars in the Arab region, especially in the Gulf region, which will drain its resources and affect its people and prosperity badly. The escalation by America and its successor Israel supported by some Gulf states against Iran has become a real danger and threat for all countries in the region. Therefore, I propose to the President al-Sisi to take an initiative by sending a deputy for him and let Major General Mahmoud Hijazi or Major General Mohammed Irfan to start the negotiations with Iran and to play the role of mediation with Iran, which bears great appreciation to Egypt giving its history, civilization and culture. We need to realize the threat before us that some Western countries want to start.

The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is different from all other earthly kingdoms. It is full of advantages, and blessings. We earned its membership card through faith and baptism. Father John Nassif, priest of the Virgin Church in Chicago said in his article, the features of Christ’s Kingdom, about its unique features and how it affects our lives on earth. First, it is not from this world. it is spiritual kingdom rather than earthly or materialistic. It aims to lift people up to God and let them enjoy better life. Second, it is a kingdom of modest people since its king is truly modest. It is also a kingdom of saints. Third, it has true peace that comes from the heart and fills the mind and leads the actions. Fourth, It is victorious and glorious kingdom that the cross is its sign and secret of glory. Fifth: it lasts forever in the hearts of the faithful people. Sixth: it is open for everyone who accepts Christ through baptism and the Holy Sacraments. Man should always remember that the world will come to an end. Thus, money, power and lusts will not benefit. Man should rather seek the fruits of the Holy Spirit and follow the commandments of our Lord in order to win the everlasting life.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, inaugurated the Church of the Virgin Mary in Düsseldorf, the capital of the state of Northern Rhine, in the presence of several German personalities. His Holiness spoke about the stages of inauguration including: special prayers, anointing with oil mixtures, and anointing with the chrism. During the three stages, the people answer Lord Have Mercy, Amen, and Alleluia. This means that the inauguration ceremony leads us to ask for God s mercy, for accepting our prayer, and rejoice saying Alleluia. The friendship between Pope Cyril VI and Pope Paul VI encouraged the Coptic Pope to start an international Coptic ministry for which he appointed Bishop Samuel, especially after many Copts have immigrated because of the laws of Nasser that affected them badly. Bishop Samuel started relations with the other Churches and the World Council of Churches. A number of Coptic churches began to spread in the Diaspora, especially in Europe and America.