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.

After Egypt won the war of 1973, many people were talking about the angels who have fought with us in the war. A script writer once asked me then to talk about that topic in a TV interview on a religious television. The story goes back to Sheikh Abdul Halim Mahmoud, Imam of Al-Azhar at the time of the war who was very powerful and well educated. The man said about the war that started on the tenth day of the Holy Month of Ramadan (47 years ago) that angels have been fighting with our soldiers since they were fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan. He assured that such victory was only achieved thanks to God who sent the angels. In fact, we have never seen such angels, but we saw the strong faithful men who fought with us. Indeed, the soldiers were true angels who offered their souls seeking victory or martyrdom. On that occasion, I salute our champions who lived or died for their country. We shall never forget those angels.

I knew father Marcos Aziz for long time. I had many interviews with him. We spent a lot of time discussing the Coptic situation and what is the solution to the persecution that Coptic suffer from last century. Every time I set a time with him for an interview I went to him in the hanging church. He always very generous and welcoming you in a way makes you feel special. He always was welcoming me as I m at his home.

The Coptic Orthodox Church and the world lost a great man yesterday whose books exceeded 100, among them many books to defend the Holy Bible. He is Father Morkos Aziz. The man filed many lawsuits against movies insulting Christian faiths, and declared his faith not fearing anyone. He also defended the church upon the elections of the General Congregation Council against all attempts to defame the Church.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly. Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their. trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. This is how Lord Jesus taught us about forgiveness linking it to our love and forgiveness. Bishop Benjamin of Menoufia said in his article (the forgiving love) that love is the base of forgiving others. This is the proof of the Christian perfection that St. Isaac talked about saying that when the soul is full of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, it is strengthened and can not be defeated by the enemy s war, but opens the heart with love and the forgiveness for all human beings. Such forgiveness leads man to abandon his own dignity and is never affected by insults, to offer true love and to give excesses to others, as the Lord Jesus did with those who crucified him, Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing. This takes man away from hatred since one knows he has a great dept. Here I remember the saying of the late Pope Shenouda III: We should lend forgiveness to take it back on Dooms Day. Give up your arrogance and be humiliated and forgive the others. Finally, if you seek forgiveness, then go reconcile with your brother and offer repentance since nobody is above sin. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly. Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their. trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. This is how Lord Jesus taught us about forgiveness linking it to our love and forgiveness. Bishop Benjamin of Menoufia said in his article (the forgiving love) that love is the base of forgiving others. This is the proof of the Christian perfection that St. Isaac talked about saying that when the soul is full of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, it is strengthened and can not be defeated by the enemy s war, but opens the heart with love and the forgiveness for all human beings. Such forgiveness leads man to abandon his own dignity and is never affected by insults, to offer true love and to give excesses to others, as the Lord Jesus did with those who crucified him, Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing. This takes man away from hatred since one knows he has a great dept. Here I remember the saying of the late Pope Shenouda III: We should lend forgiveness to take it back on Dooms Day. Give up your arrogance and be humiliated and forgive the others. Finally, if you seek forgiveness, then go reconcile with your brother and offer repentance since nobody is above sin. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Believe it or not: the Egyptians fast 467 days every year! I do not think there are people in the world who fast as much as the Egyptian people. Egypitan Muslims and Christians fast total of 467 days per year. The fasting days of the Copts are: 55 days for Great Lent, three days for Jonah fasting, 42 prior to Christmas, 40 days for the fast of the Apostles, and 15 days for the fast of the Virgin, which may be increased willingly to 21 days. Moreover, they fast Wednesdays and Fridays most of the year, which raises the total number to 256 days, which may increase optionally to 266 days.

I finished reading a book about the Coptic cuisine of the writer Charles Aql, featuring the Coptic cuisine in a fun and light style. The author begins with the famous and most popular Egyptian meal, beans or foul, and reveals to us that there are 120 different ways of preparing beans. He also talks about two types of pancakes, the first type, "pie of angel", which is vegetarian pie prepared in the Virgin monthly feast. He also talks about Fayesh, which is a more complicated pie that may take several days to prepare. The writer also talks about the sea food, which is very important in the Coptic culture since it refers to the Immaculate Conception. Here we should mention the increasing prices of fish in Egypt despite the fish farms announced by the government. The president said that the Egyptians have to boycott the goods that are rising in prices, but does he know about the World Bank s report that 60% of the Egyptian people are below the poverty line! Welcome to the holy month of Ramadan and many happy returns.

As we celebrate the resurrection and Sham El-Nessim, the Egyptians are looking for joy and fear it at the same time. They think joy may bring bad news after all, but they love jokes and laugh till they cry! Today, the homeland is rising from death of terrorism to joy and peace. We celebrate many feasts around the year including a number of religious and international feasts! We offered many martyrs and our hearts are full of pain, but we are looking forward to the joy of resurrection.

It seems that we might have a third world war without recognizing that. Unfortunately, the US policy leaded by trump will put the world on its edge. Trump so far failed in his negotiation with North Korea, created a lot of tension with Iran after withdrawing from the nuclear agreement, defended Saudi Arabia after killing the Saudi Journalist “Jamal Kashogi”, and obtained a trade war with china and let the economy goes down every day. We must remind ourselves that sometimes wars happen unintentiona

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the secret of true joy. All the writings of the Gospel and the New Testament are based on the Resurrection that gave meaning and value to our lives. Thus, Pope Tawadros II told us in his article Resurrection is our joy said that Resurrection gave humanity true joy and satisfaction. Jesus said: I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Therefore, they were happy to see him after the resurrection: After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.