Coptic Orthodox church started the Great Lent fasting on Monday. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, meaning "Great 40 Days," and "Great Fast," respectively) is the most important fasting season in the church year in the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church (including Western Rite Orthodoxy) and the Eastern Catholic Churches, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha (Easter).

Pope Francis made an appeal in the run-up to the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking celebrated on February 8th to join forces to prevent trafficking and guarantee protection and assistance to victims. He also called to pray that the Lord may convert the hearts of traffickers and give hope of liberation to all those who suffer from this shameful scourge.

Abba Anthony, Bishop of Scotland, Ireland and the North of England said that the situation in Egypt is getting better as the government is exerting great efforts to fix the situation and change the fanatic culture of many people including those in Upper Egypt. He added that the situation now is better than back under the Muslim Brotherhood rule in spite of many obstacles before peaceful coexistence and Christians should pray for the fanatics.

The official page of Minya diocese published photos of a 36 months girl who contributed to the construction of the church of her village. Mariam Gamal, was among other children helping in the construction works of the church.

The Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said that recent economic measures in Egypt have saved the economy from collapse. She added in her interview with CBC private television network that floating the currency and reducing subsidy were a positive sign for investors that Egypt was taking serious steps to reform its economic system that resulted in a steady decline in inflation rates, reaching 12% this year.

His Holiness Pope Twadros II, pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, received yesterday members of the General Congregation Council at the papal residence of St. Mark Cathedral. The visit came to express their love and respect as well as to congratulate him on the feasts.

A delegation from St. Mary and St. Mina Church in Nasr City and St. George Church in Almaza celebrated the Holy Mass at the new Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the new administrative capital. The Mass was attended by Abba Eklemendos, the General Bishop and a number of priests. The Cathedral is the biggest in the Middle East and was opened last Christmas and is considered a gift from president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to the Copts.

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, inaugurated today the church of St. Paul in Basatin, Cairo. Pope ordained two priests for the ministry of the church, and the ordination ceremony was attended by several bishops.

The Coptic diocese of Mallawy, Ansena and Ashmonin celebrated the ordination of two deacons whom to be ordained priests later. The new deacons are Dr. Michael Fayez Salib, and Ayman Jabir Bahr.

Pope Francis called followers from all religions to dedicate February 23 a day for joint prayers for peace in the world. He added in his speech in the Vatican that his call comes to face conflicts, especially in Congo and South Sudan.

Evangelical Presbyterian church holds the international leadership conference from February 22-24 at its headquarter in Cleopatra Street. The conference will include prayers and sermons and will be attended by a number of clergy, politicians and public figures.

In his article published at Keraza Magazine, Pope Tawadros II, talked about the new Cathedral of the Administrative Capital. Pope said that the president promised to hold the prayers of the holy mass in the nativity cathedral which was fulfilled the next year and considered the new Cathedral a gift from the president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

United Sates of America designated 3 organizations belong to the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organizations. The 3 organizations are: Hasm, Lewaa Thawria (Revolutionary Brigades), and Sawaed Masr (Egyptians Hands). Moreover, Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh was included on the same list. US Foreign Secretary Rex Tillerson said that the new measures are aimed at depriving these groups of the resources they need to plan and carry out their terrorist activities.

The Evangelical community in Minya is preparing to hold a conference under the title Let glory be in our land . The conference is held from Thursday 22 February to Saturday 24 February 2018 with the participation of Father Michael Kimoli from Uganda and a number of guests from several countries.

The Apostolic Nuncio, the Vatican s ambassador to Egypt, Bruno Mozaro, visited Suhag on Wednesday for a five-days visit. During his visit, Mozaro will hold meetings with a number of officials and will visit a number of villages.

Giza Criminal Court sentenced 10 terrorist to life imprisonment for targeting Copts and state institutions. The terrorist cell known as Imbaba cell was found guilty of establishing an illegal group and planning for terrorist attacks against state institutions and Christians. It is worth mentioning that the list included 3 fugitive terrorists.

Bishop Armia, member of the Holy Synod, of the Coptic Orthodox Church participated today in the opening of a new branch of the family home in Kafr El Sheikh. He said that the Family House aims at spreading love among the Egyptian people, especially at such critical moment in which Egypt is facing internal and external war.

Sheikh Mostafa Rashid, Mufti of Australia and New Zealand, president of the World Union of Islamic Scholars for Peace, issued a new book entitled (a correction to the old jurisprudence), which was presented at the Cairo International Book Fair. In the book he explained that many ideas embraced by Muslims around the world are not true including Hijab and niqab. He added that there is no killing to apostasy in Islam, and jihad with weapons ended at the end of early Islamic call. Fasting is imposed on the rich only and making idols is not forbidden, but marrying more than one woman is haram.

Dr. Sana al-Sayed, vice-president of the excavation center team in Mansoura University, said that her team discovered a dinosaur in the oasis of the Dakhla in the Western Desert She added that the work began in 2008 and that the dinosaur whose structure was found is a family that had not been discovered before and had lived in Egypt 70 million years ago.

The United States on Monday announced a lifting of the ban on the entry of refugees from 11 countries, most of them Muslim countries, but made it clear that those who want to enter the United States will be subjected to tighter security measures than they had in the past.

The Coptic Orthodox Church denied rumors about the launch of a new satellite channel from the new administrative capital. Rumors said that the cost of such channel will exceed 100 million pounds. Father Poulos Halim, a spokesman for the church, denied the rumors saying that Pope Tawadros has never said he had the intention to launch a new television channel.