An atmosphere of joy prevailed in Coptic communities across Egypt on Wednesday, with the announcement of legalization for 120 churches and church-affiliated service buildings, across 20 governorates.
In total, licenses have been granted to 106 Orthodox churches, 13 Evangelical churches, and one Adventist church.
The Minya governorate, especially in the locality of Mallawi, was content with the legalization of ten churches and 13 service buildings, most of them in the villages of Deir Abuhans and Deir al-Barsha. Authorities officially granted licenses to these buildings on Wednesday.
Eleven churches were licensed in Sharqiya. Ten were licensed in Gharbiya, including seven Orthodox churches, and three Evangelical churches. Eighteen were licensed in Alexandria, including seven Orthodox churches, nine Orthodox service buildings, an Evangelical church and another Adventist.
Finally, a church was licensed in each of Giza, Qena, and the Red Sea, and two in each of Luxor, Fayoum, Beheira, and Matruh.
The government has engaged in a three-stage process to license church buildings. Fifty-three churches and buildings were licensed in the first stage, 167 in the recent second, and finally, 120 on Wednesday.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
