WATANI International
27 February 2011
The church of St Mary and St Michael in Talbiya in the Giza suburb of Umraniya was handed over to Giza archbishopric last week.
The church which, because of the utter difficulty of obtaining licence to build a new church in Egypt, had been originally erected as a community service centre, has been closed since last November. Back then, the Umraniya district chief had given orders that construction work in the building should be halted because it was not licensed as a church. The priests and congregation took their plight to the governor who promised to rectify matters, but a subsequent surprise security ambush against the builders resulted in angry demonstrations by the Umraniya Copts. The security forces opened fire on the demonstrators; three Copts died, scores were injured, and 176 arrested. Following a meeting last December between Pope Shenouda III and the then president Hosni Mubarak, the detainees were released before the New Year.
During the recent protests, members of the congregation held vigils at the church building to guard it but, on 6 February, a number of security guards returned and expelled the priest and church members. Last Sunday, however, the security authorities handed the building over to the Church. Giza Bishop Anba Theodosius presided over Holy Mass held there.