Egypt: Coptic priests proclaim Easter in cafes and streets

In Egypt, Coptic churches, who follow the Julian calendar, are celebrating Holy Week, during which, traditionally, greetings and good wishes are expressed to the Copts by representatives of various institutions. Ahmed al Tayyeb, great Imam of Al Azhar, went to the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo to personally express his Easter greetings to Orthodox Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II.

Some Coptic Orthodox priests of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Minya, Upper Egypt, decided to leave their parishes to go to celebrate moments of prayer in the streets, in cafes and in public places, in order to announce the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ to the many baptized who do not go to church.

Anba Botros Fahim Awad Hanna, Coptic Catholic Bishop of Minya, said: "This is an initiative that may seem unusual in a country overwhelmingly Muslim, always threatened by sectarian conflicts, and it is obvious that it can be done with freedom and serenity in residential areas and villages only by Christian citizens. But it still represents a sign of apostolic vitality. Many young people have no real contact with the life of the Church and its liturgical and sacramental dynamics. So instead of waiting for them in a parish, we gently try to reach them, in places where they live and prefer to spend their time."

Source: Fides

See also: Christ is Risen - an Easter hymn from the Lebanon www.youtube.com/watch?v=uktX8rQ5vYo