[AlAhram] The Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, praised in his sermon on Wednesday Egypt's newly adopted vision to build mosques, churches, and schools in every new residential community.
Quite a vision, to be sure, and while thus far it’s been greatly tilted toward mosques, at least there will be some new instead of Christians being forbidden even to repair edifices remaining from the Byzantine period. The sermon was held at the recently established Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Martyr Abi Sven, and Saint Anba Karas in a new residential area in west Alexandria.
"My first visit to this church was in 2020 when President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated it," the Pope affirmed.
He added that the president established this church, along with a mosque and three schools, in one courtyard to allow students to see the mosque’s minaret and the church’s dome together.
Tawadros asserted that youths who see mosques and churches side by side will learn to respect the other and affirm Egypt's unity.
"This is why I take pride in this church," he concluded.
In 2020, the pope consecrated the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the Martyr Abi Sven, and Saint Anba Karas in Alexandria, and in 2021 led the Palm Sunday mass at the cathedral with limited attendance.
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