Egypt: Plans to build more churches as religious freedom returns

St George's Coptic Catholic Cathedral in Luxor badly damaged in an arson attack in 2016 © ACN

Source: ACN

A decrease in the influence of Islamist extremism in Egypt has made it possible for Christians to begin the reconstruction of damaged churches and even consider building new ones.

The Egyptian government has lifted the restrictions on the construction of churches, allowing the Coptic Catholic community to start restoring St George's Cathedral in Luxor - destroyed by a fire in 2016 - and make plans for building more places of worship in the country, according to Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Sidrak of Alexandria.

Patriarch Sidrak told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood are unlikely to "fully disappear, but the current government is taking this threat very seriously, and they no longer dominate Egyptian society. When they held full power, between 2012 and 2013, it was very risky for a Christian to go out alone. Our Churches were under constant threat, hundreds of them were burned!"

He added: "Now we live in relative safety. There are fanatics and terrorists, as happens everywhere, but they are restrained."

The patriarch said that Coptic Catholics "need to build more churches" in Egypt.

He explained: "The churches are the heart of our communities, but for many faithful they are difficult to get to. Those who live further away have to spend around a quarter of their salary to get their families to the nearest church for Sunday services by bus. Our cathedral in Luxor, which was burned, is a good example of this need of Coptic Catholics to rebuild.

"Soon it will be completely restored, thanks, especially, to Aid to the Church in Need."

Patriarch Sidrak said that the Coptic Catholic Church "plays an important charitable role in Egypt, through its schools, hospitals and clinics", providing much-needed assistance to those in need amid an ongoing economic crisis and high unemployment.

He added that the schools run by the community also help unite people of different faiths, with Muslim and Christian pupils studying together.

With thanks to Sylvain Dorient

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Aid to the Church in Need: www.acnuk.org