On Palm Sunday, two suicide bombers blew themselves up in Coptic churches in the cities of Alexandria and Tanta, Egypt. More than 40 people were killed and 106 injured.
The attacks were the latest in a string of terror incidents at Coptic churches in Egypt over the last five years. Once again, Coptic Christians were left with sorrow and grasping for an explanation of what is happening to their Church in a country that has been its home for almost two millennia.
The attacks happened minutes after Coptic Pope Tawadros II and government officials left the church in Alexandria. It was also a week before Easter Sunday, and ahead of a visit this Friday by Pope Francis to Egypt, where he will meet the Coptic leader.
Copts are the largest minority population in the Middle East and make up 10 per cent to 15 per cent of Egypt’s population. Founded in the first century by St. Mark the Apostle, the Coptic Church is believed to be one of the oldest Christian denominations in the world.
Today a sizeable Coptic diaspora exists in the West, including about 200,000 Coptic Christians in the United States and 50,000 in Canada (of which over 80 per cent reside in Ontario). While data on Copt migration are scarce, it is clear that the number increases each year — both because of terrorism and economic instability.
From a geopolitical perspective, the timing of the church bombings signals a clear message: The Islamic State group is waging war on Christianity in Egypt and the Middle East.
Of course, the solution to stemming attacks on Copts lies ultimately in the hands of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and his government. In speeches, el-Sissi regularly describes Egypt as unified and has promised to reduce Muslim-Christian tension. “But there remains little Christian representation in government, and sectarian violence is all but commonplace,” said Sarah Yerkes, an International Relations Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
“Many Christians supported Sissi’s rise to power, but there’s no group that’s safe," she added, in reference to civil society activists and political opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, hundreds of whose supporters were massacred in a 2013 raid on a protest encampment. “Anyone deemed to be a threat to Sissi is under this state of oppression.”
“Connecting the early persecution of Coptic Christians to the latest attacks, Yerkes stated: “We don't know when the next one will be, but we know there will be one.”
Meanwhile, the Vatican has downplayed security concerns surrounding the Pope’s visit to Egypt on Friday.
Pope Francis will not use an armored car during his visit to Egypt later this week, Vatican Spokesman Greg Burke told reporters on Monday. "The pope will use a closed car to move around, but not an armored one. That's how he wanted it," Burke said, adding that the Holy See was not enduring "worry" about the security aspects of the trip.
Let us pray for the safety of the Holy Father during this visit and for success in answer to his plea for unity and peace in out world.
Dear Holy Spirit, protect our Holy Father always. May he continue to be Your Voice in calling us to be witness of Your Divine Charity in our troubled world.
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