Pope Tawadros II and the bishops of the Coptic Orthodox Church all over Egypt have been visiting the heads of other Churches in Egypt that celebrate Christmas on 25 December to wish them a Happy Christmas. The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity on 7 January.
Pope Tawadros himself visited the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theodoros II and expressed his sincere happiness at the opportunity to revive the longstanding love and goodwill between the two Churches. Patriarch Theodoros, on his part, gave a warm-hearted greeting to Pope Tawadros and said he constantly prayed for him. He also gave Pope Tawadros a gift of a Russian-made chalice, and his personal rosary beads.
The Coptic Pope also visited Patriarch Ibrahim Ishaq of the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt to relay his good wishes, and was warmly received by the Patriarch who said he was happy Pope Tawadros was in good health after the spinal surgery he had in Germany last November.
Anba Raphail, Secretary-General of the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod and General Bishop of Cairo’s Downtown Churches, participated in Christmas Mass with the Syrian Orthodox. He wished the congregation and Church leaders a Happy Christmas, and reminded of the strong historic ties between the Coptic Church and the Syrian and Armenian Churches. He announced that on 20 January 2018, Holy Mass will be celebrated jointly by the Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Syrian and Armenia Orthodox, and the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches in Cairo. Pope Tawadros and Pope Theodoros will preside over Mass which will be sung in the various languages of the participating Churches.
Coptic delegations dispatched by the Pope visited the heads of the Chaldean Church, the Episcopal Church, the Orthodox and Catholic Syrian Churches, the Latin Church, the Greek Catholic Church, and the Maronite Church.
Watani International
26 December 2017
