Following some four months of anticipation, Copts welcomed the Cabinet Decision 34/2022 on 11 May approving legalisation of a new batch of unlicensed churches and Church affiliated buildings, according to the Law for the Building and Restoration of Churches passed in September 2016.
The 2016 law was the first ever in Egypt to govern the building and restoration of churches; it also made provision for legalisation of already existing unlicensed churches and Church affiliated buildings. Until the 2016 law was passed, it was next to impossible for Copts to obtain official licence to build or restore a church. Copts, who direly needed churches in view of the growing congregation and declining conditions of existing churches, resorted to circumventing the law and building churches without licence. The 2016 law stipulates a straightforward, time limited legal procedure for obtaining licence to build or restore a church or affiliated building, and includes provisions for legalising already existing ones. Applications for legalisation submitted to a Cabinet committee charged with looking into them amounted to 3730 cases the files of which were handed in before the deadline of 28 September 2017, one year on the passage of the law.
Watani has been regular in publishing the successive lists of churches and buildings approved for legalisation by the Cabinet-affiliated committee charged with that task. The committee issues approvals every few months for legalisation of batches of churches and buildings in various regions in Egypt, belonging to the Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Coptic Churches. Legalisation becomes final only when the approved churches comply with provisions of structural soundness and civil defence conditions, prove land ownership, and pay the required dues.
The most recent batch of Church buildings approved for legalisation is the 23rd, and comprises 239 buildings: 120 churches and 119 affiliated community service buildings. This brings the total number of buildings approved up to 2401 out of a total 3730, that is 64.4 percent. It took the Cabinet-affiliated committee four years and seven-and-a-half months to achieve close to two-thirds of its task. At this rate, we can expect the Cabinet to approve legalisation of the remaining 35.6 per cent in another two years and six-and-a-half months, meaning that the entire legalisation process would have taken seven years and two months. For now, we can reiterate the Egyptian folk saying: “The bigger portion has been accomplished … what remains is less”.
A review of the most recent batch of buildings approved for legalisation reveals that they are divided into six sets.
The first set lists churches and Church affiliated community centres approved for legality provided they comply with the civil defence requirements in a period of four months on the date the decision was issued. This set includes 78 churches and 83 community centres, a total 161 buildings in the governorates of Cairo, Alexandria, Beheira, Beni-Sweif, Minya, Fayoum, Assiut, Sohag, and Luxor.
The second set lists churches and Church affiliated community centres approved for legality provided they comply with the civil defence requirements in a period of four months on the date the decision was issued, in addition to settling any State dues required; also on condition there would be no ownership disputes regarding the land on which the buildings were constructed. This set includes 22 churches and 28 community centres, a total 50 buildings in the governorates of Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Daqahliya, Minya, and Assiut.
The third set concerns buildings approved for legalisation provided their respective owners should take official procedures to obtain the permits and licences required for demolition, and the permits and licences required for rebuilding. This set includes 13 churches and four community centres, a total 17 buildings in the governorates of Minya, and Assiut.
The fourth set concerns buildings approved for legalisation provided their respective owners should take official procedures to obtain the permits and licences required for demolition, and the permits and licences required for rebuilding; in addition to settling any State dues required; also on condition there would be no ownership disputes regarding the land on which the buildings were constructed. This set includes five churches and two community centres, a total seven buildings in the governorates of Alexandria, Minya, Assiut, and Luxor.
The fifth set includes a church and two buildings affiliated to it in Assiut, a total three buildings approved for legality provided the owners obtain all the permits and licences necessary for the restoration work required. Once this is done, the owner should obtain certificates of structural soundness which should then be submitted to the Cabinet to decide on the measures it sees fit.
The sixth set concerns a Minya church approved for legality provided the owner obtains all the permits and licences necessary for restoration work required. Once this is done, the owner should obtain a certificate of structural soundness which should then be submitted to the Cabinet to decide on the measures it sees fit. In addition, any dues owed to the State should be settled; and there should exist no ownership disputes regarding the land on which the building was constructed.
Those were the details of the most recent batch of churches and affiliated buildings approved for legality; we keenly await the next batch.
Watani International
27 May 2022