Coptic Dutch organization participated at the conference on the rights of minorities in Geneva on 24 and 25 November.
Abba Gawargious, Bishop of Matay, has consecrated a new church at Dakof village, Minya. The new church was named the church of St. Mary and its opening was attended by thousands of Coptic Christians.
Abba Arsanious, bishop of Minya and Abu Qurkas, and Abba Makarious, the general bishop in Minya, have ordained 6 new priests. The new priests are spending 40 days at St. Mary monastery in Baramous, Wadil Natroun.
The Attorney General of West Cairo released policeman accused of killing Magdy McCain on 1000 LE bail. The policeman was caught on camera of the police station hitting and torturing the other man arrested with Magdy McCain.
The Egyptian public prosecutor referred today the man accused of killing 21 Copts in Libya and forming a group aiming to disrupt the Constitution and the law and harming the national unity and social peace.
The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced a surprise soon. This came in a statement published by the Patriarchate on its official page on Facebook.
Abba Julius, Bishop of Old Cairo, invited the people to visit Egypt and Jordan as part of the path of the Holy Family. He added that Egypt and Jordan have many places that were blessed by the visit of the Holy Family and invited the people to be blessed by visiting them.
Coptic Christians are going to start fasting for 43 days before Christmas. Father Mina, priest of St. Mary Church in Damietta, said that such fasting refers to the fasting of Moses the prophet for 40 days before receiving the law and the fasting of the Coptic Orthodox Church for three days before the miracle of moving the mount of Mokattam in Cairo.
A delegation from the Egyptian family House in Mallawi visited the brigade Faisal Dwedar, Minya director of security to thank him for improving security in the governorate.
Rev Refaat Fathi, Secretary-General of the Council of the churches of Egypt, said that the Council doesn’t interfere with the case of Magdy McCain who was killed after being interrogated at the police station last week.
Abba Makarios, bishop of Minya, perfumed the remains of St. Mina the miraculous in Beni Suef. The congregation celebrated the feast of the saint in the presence of its priests.
Abba Abraham Isaac, patriarch of the Coptic Catholic church, said that religions are loftier than politics and therefore, shouldn’t be mixed with politics. Isaac said he is sorry for the state of polarization, ignorance and lack of dialogue. He also denounced using religion in a political disagreement or to achieve political gains.
In his speech at the meeting of the holy synod today, Pope Tawadros II said that Copts are more appreciated in the Egyptian society and their role is expanding at the current moment. Pope said that the government is keen to restore the path of the holy family project and pointed out that the building churches law was finally passed after 160 years.
Abba Suriel, Bishop of Melbourne, Australia, donated a medical sonar device for Bahia charity Hospital for the treatment of breast cancer. The device is estimated at 330 thousand pounds. This came during the visit of Nabila Makram, Egypt’s Minister of Immigration and Bishop Suriel to the hospital.
St. George Church in Minya celebrated the feast of St. George by perfuming his remains. People were blessed by the holy remains and listened to a sermon by Father Tadros Samir entitled “All things work together for good”.
Pope Tawadros presides over the Holy Synod meetings in the fourth seminar entitled "Coptic identity" at St. Bishoy monastery in the Papal residence in Wadi Natrun.
Bayadeya village celebrated the feast of St. George by holding carnival in the streets. Deacons have chanted for the feast and one of them dressed as the saint riding a horse and holding a sword.
Members of the Family House in Minya intervened to resolve sectarian strife between Muslim and Christian students in Saft Laban village, and convinced them to accept reconciliation. Several Coptic students were injured in the sectarian clashes in the village.
Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, is leading a campaign to renew the religion discourse in the church.
In his interview with Copts United, Mr. William Frei, Former Minister in charge of the Relationship with European Parliament at the Swiss Mission in Brussels talked about his unofficial visit to Egypt. He said that his relationship with Egypt started many years ago when he studied in St. Maurice, a small city located in the canton of Valais in Switzerland carrying the name of an Egyptian saint.
British Embassy mourned on Saturday Egyptian actor Mahmoud Abdel Aziz who departed today at the age of 70 years, after a long struggle with illness.
Others
First, I offer my sincere condolences to the martyrs who shed their pure blood as a result of the vicious terrorist act that targeted the Petrine Church in Cairo.