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Nothing orthodox about repression of Coptic Christians

25 Nov 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

As Roman Catholics this Sunday celebrate the feast of Christ the King, a church solemnity that marks the transition from one liturgical year to the next, Coptic Christians in Egypt have transitions both liturgical and constitutional on their minds these days. Last Sunday in a ceremony rich in ritual, they installed a new pope, Tawadros II, who they hope will guide them through the shift to a new, largely Islamist-led Egypt.The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, as it is known officially, is the largest Christian church in the Middle East and belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which became a distinct church body as a result of doctrinal differences during the Council of Chalcedon in 451.In a sumptuous liturgy filled with prayer, chants, and incense at Abbasiya cathedral in Cairo on November 4, the 60-year-old Bishop Tawadros' name was picked by a blindfolded child from a glass bowl in which the names of two other candidates had also been placed. The ceremony last Sunday at the same cathedral marked his formal ascendance as the 118th leader of the church.Coptic Christians make up a tenth of Egypt's 83 million people. Many fear their community, which has long suffered discrimination, will be squeezed to the sidelines of society under Islamists now ruling the Muslim-majority nation.President Mohamed Morsi, propelled to power by the Muslim Brotherhood, did not attend the ceremony, to the dismay of some Christians who said it undermined his claim to be a leader of all Egyptians, but he sent his prime minister, Hisham Kandil.Tawadros II says he will oppose any new Egyptian constitution that meets only Muslim concerns. Liberals, moderate Muslims, and Islamists are tussling over the shape of the constitution and extent of Islamic references in the document. A constitution must be in place before an election can be held to replace the dissolved parliament.Christians have long been sidelined in the workplace and in law. A spate of attacks on churches since Mubarak's overthrow has further alarmed them. Some even speak of an imminent second "age of martyrdom," recalling the era of persecution of Christians under Roman rule that remains burned into Copts' historic memory nearly 2,000 years later.". . . I think we are moving toward a confrontation that will have grave ramifications for Egypt," said Bishop Bieman, a charismatic church leader in the southern province of Qena. "I am not worried about us Christians on the long term, but I am seriously concerned about what happens to us on the short term. Efforts to impose a[n Islamic] religious state are accelerating."Homily hint: Many Catholics are unaware of the existence of the Coptic Christian tradition, much less of the repression its members currently suffer. With Christ as our common King, can we turn our backs on our brothers and sisters in other lands? Sources: Articles by Edmund Blair for Reuters, Hamza Nedawi for the Associated Press, and Wikipedia

egypt coptic christians mohammed morsi tawadros ii hisham kandil constitutions coptic orthodox church

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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?

02 Dec 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“The time when promises are fulfilled and justice is raised up is on its way,” PreparetheWord.com says in summarizing this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Jeremiah. In an escalation of the tug-of-war between Egypt's president and the nation's powerful judiciary, judges in the country's top courts went on strike Wednesday to protest Mohammed Morsi’s seizure of near absolute powers, while Islamists rushed to complete a new constitution, the issue at the heart of the dispute.The moves came a day after at least 200,000 protesters filled Cairo's central Tahrir Square to denounce the decrees Morsi issued last week, which place him above oversight of any kind, including by the courts. Threatening to turn the dispute into violent street clashes, Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and the more radical Islamist Salafi Al-Nour party called for a counter-demonstration this weekend in Tahrir Square, where Morsi’s opponents have been holding a sit-in for over a week.Morsi has said the decrees are necessary to protect the revolution that helped drive Hosni Mubarak from office last year as well as the nation's transition to democratic rule. The constitutional declaration also provides the 100-member panel drafting a new constitution with immunity from the courts.In a sign the dispute may take a sharp turn, the Supreme Constitutional Court said in a statement that it will go ahead with plans to rule Sunday on whether to dissolve the assembly writing the new constitution, which is dominated by the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies. Complicating matters, the constitutional panel was rushing to wrap up its work, and some members said a final draft could be completed as early as Thursday. This would allow the president to call for a nationwide referendum on the document even before the court convenes Sunday, circumventing its decision.Homily hint: Even with all our political and policy differences as citizens, we can be encouraged that we are able to resolve our disputes for the most part in civil ways that respect the rule of law. Lead those in attendance in prayers for those who are still struggling to achieve genuine democracies around the world. Sources: Articles by Sarah El Deeb for the Associated Press and Reza Sayah for CNN

egypt muslim brotherhood mohammed morsi constitutions islamists supreme constitutional court

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Word of the Week

17 November 2024

Presider’s Chair

\'pri-sīd-ərs 'cher\

Also known as the presidential chair, the seat in a parish church from which the celebrant leads the assembly during Mass. Its meaning derives from the chair, or cathedra in Latin, from which the diocesan bishop presides (from Latin meaning “to protect” or literally “to sit before”). The chair is a liturgical symbol of authority and pastoral leadership.

Pronunciation Read more

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