Murderer of the Coptic doctor Tharwat Georgy in Dirout declared his belonging to ISIS before he was sentenced to death penalty by Egyptian court. The terrorist said he sees Copts are infidels and their money, souls and belongings are lawful to seize and their blood is permissible to shed.

The Patriarchate of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria announced the start of a mandatory medical examination of applicants for marriage as of January 2019 as a condition for completion of formal engagement procedures. It added that the new pressures aim to check for medical contraindications for marriage.

His Eminence Bishop Gabriel of Beni Suef and member of the secretarial committee of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church said that 7 new bishops will be ordained by Pope Tawadros II next Saturday. He added that Abba Markos will be ordained Bishop of Damietta, Abba Isaac for Tama, Father Markos Abnoudy will be ordained Bishop of New Valley. The four other general bishops that will be ordained are: Father Paul of Maharak monastery, Father Sawirus of St. Mina Monastery, Father Bishoy of St. Moussa monastery, Father Maximus of St. Moussa monastery.

Pope Tawadros II inaugurated on Sunday the great St. Mark cathedral in Abbasia on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the cathedral’s construction in 1968. The cathedral was closed in 2015 for restoration and renovation works implemented by around 50 companies and 300 workers. The cathedral’s new art works include icons of martyrs in the modern age like the 21 Coptic martyrs in Libya.

Father Matta Rizk, deputy of Manfalut diocese in Assiut, said the young man Mina Mohsen Rifaat was found dead on Wednesday after he was lost in the floods. The young man was drowned and his body was found three days after his death in the Nile River. He added that the flood water is being removed from the monastery that suffered unprecedented destruction because of the floods.

The monastery of Prince Tadros in Beni Shokier, Assiut, has suffered from destruction after the sweeping floods that destroyed the walls and drowned sheep farms and livestock and workshops. One man was lost in the floods called Mina Refaat and rescue teams are searching for him. The monastery is considered the oldest in the area and was established in the fourth century, but this is the first time it faces such destructive floods.

Pope Tawadros II said that the inauguration of the Cathedral of St. Mark in Abbasiyah will be held next Sunday. He added in his weekly sermon that the prayers will not include celebrations because of the recent terrorist attacks, and will be limited to the rituals.

Sources at Abu Makar monastery told Copts United that several people have jumped over the walls of the monastery trying to enter the monastery. just like a man did this 10 days before Bishop of the monastery was killed couple of months ago. 3 people entered the monastery yesterday by jumping over the walls, but they were allowed to leave after they apologized and assure they only wanted to take photos! Sources added that the land next to the monastery belongs to the Ministry of Antiquities and includes some Coptic antiquities, but some people are trying to use it, and the monastery has asked for permission to build a wall to protect it, but has not received any response yet.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is holding an international conference on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Sunday schools inside the Egyptian churches. The Conference includes 10 scientific sessions held within the Orthodox Cultural Center in the Great Cathedral of St. Markia in Abbasia, that discuss the history, present and future of the Sunday schools in the Copts Church. The International Conference will be patronized by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and the Patriarch of St. Mark See.