In an interview on Coptic satellite television channel CTV, Coptic Pope Shenouda III said that Coptic divorcees wishing to remarry could only qualify for civil marriages since the church expressly forbade second marriages.
“There is no power on earth that can force me to violate the teachings of the Bible,” the pope declared.
Last month, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the pope must allow Copts to divorce and remarry.
Coptic church lawyer Ramsis el-Naggar said that even a second civil marriage was impossible because the Justice Ministry official responsible for certifying Coptic marriage contracts was a Coptic priest. “The ministry will have to appoint a civil official for this purpose,” said el-Naggar.
Meanwhile, the Taybi Brigade, a group of Coptic activists, announced it would stage demonstrations next Wednesday in support of the pope’s position. Members of the church’s Cairo, Giza and Alexandria dioceses also expressed their support for the pope.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
