Pope Shenouda III arrived in Alexandria today to deliver his biweekly sermon after an absence since early January, in which he preached in celebration of the feast of the Epiphany. His absence was attributed to disagreements with the Governor of Alexandria Adel Labib.
Meanwhile, some Christian activists are drafting a memorandum in cooperation with the Alexandria Confessional Council addressing the problems between the church and the governorate. The memorandum will be submitted to concerned authorities in hopes of solving these problems and improving the relationship between the church and the governorate, which has become tense recently.
A lawyer from the church, Joseph Malak, said the recent tension between the Pope and the governor stems from demolition orders targeting several church buildings in the area, some of which have already been torn down. The orders include buildings in Amereya, Camp Shizar and the surrounding areas.
The Pope was also saddened by the decision to halt the construction of a guest house in Abu Talat, under the pretext that it encroached upon the beach, Malak added.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
