A small building owned by the Coptic Orthodox bishopric of Maghagha in Minya, Upper Egypt, and used for prayers and services since 2007 has been desecrated by the local security authorities.
The building, named after St Joseph, is in the village of Mayana in the parish of Maghagha, and is surrounded with a fencing wall that includes a room roofed with fabric.
Anba Aghathon, Bishop of Maghagha and Adawa, issued a statement on the matter, under the title “SOS to the President”. The statement said that the local security authorities had sent a letter to the bishopric asking for a list of the churches and buildings affiliated to the parish in order to secure them. The bishopric duly sent the required list on 29 March; the list included St Joseph’s which, the statement said, has been known to the security authorities as a place of worship since 2007.
The statement carried a protest by the bishopric against the police who seized the altar, its utensils, and the holy books. In the end, Anba Aghathon appealed to the President for intervention.
Watani International
4 April 2015