AFRICA/EGYPT - Coptic Orthodox Bishop: no to weapons in churches

Monday, 28 October 2013

Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - The attacks and persecutions suffered by the Copts in the last convulsive seasons in Egypt should not be exploited to propagate ideas and alien behavior towards the Christian faith and contrary to the true interests of the indigenous Christian communities in Egypt. This was stated with clarity by Coptic Orthodox Bishop Morcos, titular of the Diocese of Shubra al-Khaimah, in the metropolitan area of Cairo. According to Egyptian sources consulted by Fides Agency, Anba Marcos has made it clear that "all attempts to invoke the intervention of the West with the pretext of saving the Christian minority must be rejected". The Egyptian bishop also wanted to point out that "churches do not need to hide weapons, as some argue", because any measure of armed self-defense would have little effect before targeted terrorist attacks. At the same time, Bishop Morcos showed understanding for the sense of frustration that increases in particular among organized groups of young Copts, nourished also by the impunity that was previously reserved to the leaders of terrorist attacks against churches and Christian homes, however inviting all to trust in the help and protection of the Lord. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 28/10/2013)


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