wfn.org | ELCJHL bishop decries violence, declares solidarity with grieving Christians in Egypt

["Allison Schmitt" <aschmitt@elcjhl.org> (by way of Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>)]

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ELCJHL bishop decries violence, declares solidarity with grieving Christians in Egypt

Beirut ? (Jan. 11, 2010) ELCJHL Bishop Munib A. Younan today announced his support and prayers for His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and his church in the wake of killings in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, last week.

On Jan. 6, the eve of their Christmas celebration, six Coptic Christians, as well as one Muslim security officer, were killed at a church in Nag Hammadi. At least seven other people were injured.

?We are horrified and denounce this violent act, that instead of our people our Christian Copts celebrating Christmas and the feast of incarnation, they had to celebrate the feast of the cross,? Younan said. ?The attack is horrifying and puts fear in the hearts of Christians in Egypt.? Younan encouraged Egyptian Christians to not be fearful but to rest in the hope of the resurrection and ?remain steadfast with their witness to the Gospel, for the church always carries its cross even in times of joy.?

Younan sent letters of condolence to Pope Shenouda, as well as to Dr. Anba Abrahim, the Coptic archbishop of Jerusalem, last Friday.

Younan spoke from Beirut, Lebanon, where he is attending the general assembly of the Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches, which includes Egyptian Protestant churches. In the midst of the fellowship?s activities, participants paused to remember the victims. Rev. Fadi Dagher, general secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, offered a prayer for comfort for the victims' families and wisdom for officials who are responsible for calming tensions in the wake of the tragedy.

Younan declared his confidence that the Egyptian government will find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

?We pray for the victims and their families,? he added. ?But we also pray that such acts will not be repeated, neither in Egypt or anywhere else.?

> ###

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> Allison K. Schmitt
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