Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - Terrorism "does not make any distinction between Christians and Muslims", and even when it is fueled by religious ideology, it indiscriminately affects all believers in God, fomenting sectarian strife where people kill each other for "human stupidity" for "money" or to assert "their interests". This is what Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II said during some interviews released on Thursday, January 7th by different Egyptian media, including the al-Ahram daily newspaper. During his intervention, the Primate of the Orthodox Coptic Church developed some thoughts on the positive contribution that religions can give to help people to live the fullness of their humanity and live together in peace, insisting on the fact that he does not fear terrorism only for the suffering it causes Christians, but because it affects the whole Country. Pope Tawadros has at heart, as Head of the largest Church in the Middle East, the stability and security of all of Egypt.
Meanwhile the positive comments regarding the words that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delivered on the occasion of his participation at Christmas eve, celebrated by Pope Tawadros in St Mark’s cathedral in Cairo on Wednesday, January 6 (see Fides 07/01/2016) continues in the Coptic Church. The Head of State at the end of the celebration said that he is committed to speeding up procedures for the repair of destroyed churches especially during the riots in August 2013, when about fifty institutions and Christian places of worship were attacked and devastated by gangs of thugs linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 08/01/2016)
