The Coptic Diocese of Maghagha issued a statement to denounce the forced disappearance phenomenon of a number of Coptic girls and to demand the return of counseling and guidance sessions. The statement said the phenomenon has been increasing lately which threatens the public peace and national unity of Egypt.

Coptic Catholic Patriarch participates in a prayer day for peace in Italy invited by His Holiness Pope Francis. The prayers are held for the Middle East on July 7th, 2018 in the Italian city of Bari.

Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt celebrated the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ visit to Egypt. The visit was entitled ‘Pope of Peace in Egypt of Peace’ and witnessed a call of Pope Francis to denounce violence in the Middle East. The Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt extended thanks and gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the visit, headed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Hany Badry, father of the 11 year old disappeared child Fady, pleaded with the police to find his son who disappeared on April 5th in Tima, Suhag. Police were reported ever since, but the child was not to be found. The family accused none o kidnapping the child, and nobody called to demand a ransom.

Coptic TV discussed the phenomenon of forced disappearance of Coptic girls and demanded the restoration of sessions of counseling and religious guidance for those who want to convert from one religion to another. The program called the families to embrace and take good care of their daughters, and called the girls to have courage and face their kidnappers and never surrender to the blackmailing of the criminals.

Copts who live in Khamel city in October 6th governorate demanded the president to intervene and permit them to build a church in the city. They explained that more than 1000 Copts live in the city and are in dire need to have a church in order to ho hold their prayers. It is worth mentioning that the city has 6 mosques.

Coptic churches mourned the martyrdom of eight Egyptian soldiers in Sinai while they were defending an attack by the terrorist on their ambush. Churches said in a statement that they pray for the armed forces an police to succeed in their mission and protect this country and for peace and stability in Egypt.

Coptic activists denounced attempts of the government to demolish antiquarian church in Luxor. They said that equipment are trying to demolish the antiquarian church in order to broaden the road. It is worth mentioning that two buildings of the church were demolished in 2010 for the same purpose, but the authorities insists on demolishing the old building of the church that is more than one hundred year old.

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, congratulated President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on being reelected for a second round. Pope wished him success in developing the country and fighting terrorism. Coptic Catholic and Evangelical churches have congratulated the President on being reelected and wished him best regards.

Hundreds of people visited the cloak of Jesus Christ during His crucifixion at the cathedral of St. Peter in Trier, the largest German city. The exhibition was opened for the first time in 2012, in the presence of the representative of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Germany, Bishop Damian. The Seamless Robe of Jesus is the robe is said to have been worn by Jesus during or shortly before his crucifixion. Competing traditions claim that the robe has been preserved to the present day.

ISIS terrorist organization claimed responsibly for the terrorist attack on a Christian family in the city of Quetta, the capital of the province of Balochistan in Pakistan. Statement issued by the terrorist organization said that a number of gunmen shot at a group of Christians of one family riding a car and killed 4 of them. A baby girl was injured in the attack and is receiving treatment at the hospital.

The British authorities have taken extra security measures in anticipation of any violence against Muslims in Britain after the publication of a campaign entitled Punishing a Muslim Leaflets inciting against Muslims were distributed and promising to award prizes to those who attack a Muslim or burn a mosque.

Security sources said that the national security sector prevented a terrorist attack on a church in Naga Hammadi, north of the province of Qena. The terrorist Mohammed Saleh was arrested while transforming explosives to bomb the Church of St. Mary in Naga Hammadi. Extra security measures have been taken in the city and the matter is currently under investigation to reveal the rest of the terrorist cell related to the planned attack.

Copts in Fayoum governorate expressed their anger over the decision of Fayoum University to schedule exams during the Coptic feasts which prevents the Coptic students from celebrating the feasts with their families. The exams were scheduled on Palm Sunday and Easter, which was described as discrimination and intransigence.

Muslims and Christians participated for the first time together in celebration of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Director General of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, Rifat Bader, said that such initiatives are not new in Jordan in which all religions live in peace. The Annunciation is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, which is similar to the story embraced by Muslims in the holy Quraan.

Few days after he returned to his diocese, Abba Abraam, bishop of Fayoum, casted his vote in the prudential election. He called all Egyptians to participate in the elections and perform such important duty for a better future at the homeland.

Extremists in Qena demonstrated promising to demolish the newly licensed church after they heard it was legalized according to the law of houses of worship. St. Mary Church in Tod was recently legalized, but the neighbors demonstrated against the decision and stoned houses of the Copts in the village.

Coptic students at Fayoum University expressed their happiness and gratitude over changing exams schedule to avoid having them on Christian feasts. The old schedule had exams on April 1st and 8th which coincide with Palm Sunday and Easter feasts.

Families of Coptic martyrs of Libya received a phone call by the Samalut Prosecution in Minya which informed them of the imminent arrival of the bodies of their sons. The y expressed their happiness over new about the arrival of the dead bodies of the martyrs in few days.

Families of martyrs of Libya appealed to the government to return the dead bodies of their sons to their hometown in Upper Egypt. A church was built on the name of the martyrs in Awr village which was opened last February where a special shrine was prepared to bury their bodies in. It is worth mentioning that three years have passed since the martyrs were slain on Libyan shores, but the Egyptian government hasn t brought their bodies back yet.

The trial of 25 accused of burning the houses of a number of the Copts of the Karm village, Abu Qurqas in May 2016 was postponed for April 14 after a request of the Coptic defense to join the case of stripping a Coptic old lady and drag her nude in the streets to the same case. On May 20, 2016, the angry mobs attacked Coptic hosues and stripped an old lady off in the streets over a rumor about a romantic relationship between a Coptic man and a Muslim woman.