On 13 June 2023, Egypt’s official gazette published the Prime Minister’s decision approving legalisation of the 26th batch of churches and Church affiliated buildings: 374 from among a total 3730 buildings that in September 2017 applied for legality, meeting the deadline set by the 2016 Law for Building and Restoring Churches.
The recent decision involves 141 churches and 233 community centre buildings. This brings the legalisations approved up to 2979 out of a total 3730, that is 79.9 per cent of the total applications, in the space of five years and nine months. At this rate, the Cabinet committee would need another 18 months to complete looking into the remaining 751 cases; the entire task would have taken seven years and three months to complete. The Egyptian folk saying goes: “The bigger portion has been accomplished … what remains is the lesser” [sigh].
The 2016 law was the first ever in Egypt to govern the building and restoration of churches; it also made provision for legalising already existing unlicensed churches and Church affiliated buildings. Until the 2016 law was passed, it was next to impossible for Copts to obtain licence to build or restore a church. Copts, who direly needed churches in view of growing congregations and declining conditions of existing churches, resorted to circumventing the law and building churches without licence. Once the 2016 law was passed, applications for legalisation of unlicensed churches were submitted to a Cabinet committee chaired by the Prime Minister, charged with looking into them and issuing approvals for legality. Prior to the deadline of 28 September 2017, one year on the passage of the law, 3730 applications for legalisation were submitted. The committee started its work on 28 December 2017.
Watani has been regular in publishing the successive lists of churches and buildings approved for legalisation by the Cabinet 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 buildings prove land ownership, pay any required dues, and comply with provisions of structural soundness and civil defence [safety] conditions.
Watani prints in its current issue [9 July 2023] the detailed lists of churches and community centres included in the 26th decision. They are divided into 14 sets throughout 17 governorates.
The first set lists churches and Church affiliated community centres approved for legality provided they fulfill the required safety conditions in no more than six months on the date the decision is issued. This set includes 47 churches and 108 community centres, a total 155 buildings in the governorates of Aswan, Red Sea, Cairo, Minya, Assiut, Alexandria, Giza, Sharqiya, Fayoum, Qalyubiya, and Sohag. (Names of governorates are mentioned in the same order they figure in the decision).
The second set lists churches and community centres approved for legality provided they fulfill the required safety conditions in no more than six months on the date the decision is issued. This, in addition to settling any State dues required, and provided there is no ownership dispute regarding the land on which the buildings are erected. This set includes 26 churches and 26 community centres, a total 52 buildings in the governorates of Cairo, Minya, Assiut, Giza, Fayoum, and Sohag.
Third: Churches and affiliated buildings approved for legality provided they fulfill the required safety conditions in no more than six months on the date the decision is issued, in addition to settling any State dues required. This set includes one community centre in the governorate of Alexandria.
Fourth: Churches and affiliated buildings approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions that require demolition and reconstruction. This set includes four churches and five community centres, a total nine buildings in Minya and Sohag.
Fifth: Churches and buildings approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions that require demolition and reconstruction; in addition to settling any State dues required, and provided there is no ownership dispute regarding the land on which the buildings are erected. This set includes two churches in Minya.
Sixth: Churches and buildings approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions requiring restoration. This set includes one church and eight community centres in Assiut and Alexandria.
Seventh: Churches and buildings approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions requiring restoration, in addition to settling State dues required, and provided there is no ownership dispute regarding the land on which the buildings are erected. This set includes one community centre in Sharqiya.
Eighth: Churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, that have been approved for legality provided they fulfill the required safety conditions in no more than six months on the date the decision is issued. This set includes 49 churches and 59 community service buildings, a total 108 in Aswan, Minya, Assiut, Alexandria, Giza, Fayoum, Sohag, Beheira, Daqahliya, Suez, Gharbiya, Beni-Sweif, and Kafr al-Sheikh.
Ninth: Churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, and approved for legality provided they fulfill the required safety conditions in no more than six months on the date the decision is issued; in addition to settling any State dues required, and provided there is no ownership dispute regarding the land on which the buildings are erected. This set includes four churches and eight community centres, a total 12 buildings in Assiut, Giza, and Beheira.
Tenth: Churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, and approved for legality provided they fulfill the required safety conditions in no more than six months on the date the decision is issued; in addition to settling any State dues required. This set includes five churches and eight community centres, a total 13 buildings in Minya, Assiut and Giza.
Eleventh: Churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, and approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions requiring demolition and reconstruction. This set includes one church and seven community centres, a total eight buildings in Beheira and Giza.
Twelfth: Churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, and approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions that require demolition and reconstruction; in addition to settling any State dues required, and provided there is no ownership dispute regarding the land on which the buildings are erected. This set includes one church and one community centre, both in Beheira.
The 13th set concerns churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, and approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions that require demolition and reconstruction; in addition to settling any State dues required. This set includes one community centre in Beni-Sweif.
The 14th set concerns churches and buildings located outside the urban cordon, and approved for legality provided they comply with structural soundness provisions requiring restoration. This set includes one building in Daqahliya.
Watani International
7 July 2023