Fear of Islamist attacks was again cited as the cause of stopping worship in Egypt this month, even though parishioners said local Muslims supported the opening of the shuttered church outside Cairo, sources said.
Anba Morcos, Coptic Orthodox bishop of Shobra El-Kheima, decided to close the Pope Kerlis VI and Archdeacon Habib Gerges church before Nov. 17 services after consulting with the governor of Qalyubia, who had warned of possible Islamist attacks, according to Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum.
After Friday mosque attendance on Nov. 17, Muslim families gathered outside the closed Coptic Orthodox church building in Shobra El-Kheima, about 30 miles outside of Cairo, to show their support for it, an area Christian told Morning Star News.
“We were not used to praying in this church regularly, but after we submitted all the legal papers and notified the authorities, we started opening the church and holding daily masses on Nov. 3,” Amir Aiad, a 42-year-old pharmacist, told Morning Star News. “There were no objections, nothing happened. On the contrary, local Muslims stood on our side, supporting our right to build a church. I can’t find a justification for what happened.”
The church building had been rarely used since construction was completed in 2015 as it took two years to meet all legal obligations for opening, Aiad said. When it opened this month, it served…
… Read More
Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.