For the first time in its history, the Coptic churches and monasteries are closed in the Holy Week. The Monastery of Abu Fana, like other Coptic monasteries, announced it will not receive visitors during the Holy Week, including laity and clergy. The Coptic Orthodox Church announced that no public prayers will be held this year and no priests will visit the people.

The Coptic Church in Samalout announced to broadcast prayers of the Holy Week on its official page on Facebook following the new instructions to shut down the churches due to Corona virus. Bishop Pfnotoius of Samalout said that the church hopes that the procedures will not last for long, and they come to save lives of the congregation. Two priests and 4 deacons will have to stay in the diocese without leaving in order to participate in the prayers.

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Fayoum has announced permitting the prayers of baptism and chrism for children amid strict procedures due to Corona virus. The church said that monk Timothaous of Naqaloun monastery will make an appointment and only 3 members of the family of the baptized children will be allowed to attend the prayers without celebrating the holy mass.

A number of the monks of the monastery of St. Paula in the Red Sea, headed by Bishop Daniel, held a joint prayers for Egypt and the world that God may stop the epidemic of Corona virus. It is mentioned that all monasteries are subject to complete quarantine and no trips or people are received, and no monks are allowed to leave it.

Father Poulos Haleem, spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church, commented on the funeral of a Coptic priest in Mallawy, which sparked a controversy after it was attended by many people, which was considered a violation of the curfew and social distancing rules to face Coronavirus. He added in an interview on MBC private satellite channel that the village where the priest served consists of 50.000 Coptic people and the funeral was attended only by 300 people. He added that Upper Egypt has a tribal area, and the presence of families in funerals is considered a must. Church spokesman stressed that the church is committed to the resolutions of social distancing and decided to stop the prayers of the Holy Week for the first time in history to follow the decisions taken by the state to face Coronavirus.

The Secretariat Committee of the Holy Synod met today under the chairmanship of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II to discuss the latest developments on the issue of the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and decided to extend its decision to shut down churches and stop all meetings and activities to prevent the spread of the virus. The statement issued by the Committee assured that the decision includes the prayers of the Holy Week and announced to postponed making the Holy Chrism scheduled next week. The church also announced to donate 3 million EGP in order to contribute to the purchase of ventilators.

Bishop Theophilus of Manfalut, delivered a sermon via live broadcast technology on the official page of the diocese on Facebook. This comes at the time the Coptic church extended its decision to shut down churches and monasteries and stopped all services due to the Coronavirus.

Abba Raphael, the general bishop of the churches of central Cairo, said that families should use the curfew to pray and read the Holy Bible. He added that the church is experiencing an extraordinary time that we pray to end soon in order to return to the church activities and meetings.

Coptic Church commemorates the monthly memorial of the Virgin Mary on 21st of each Coptic month, which commemorates the departure of the Virgin Mary. Some historical sources mentioned that the life of the Virgin Mary was almost sixty years, including twelve years in the Temple, and thirty-four years in the house of Joseph the Carpenter, and then fourteen years after the ascension of her son Jesus Christ spent her in the house of John the Beloved.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has finished placing 42 heavy artifacts on the Great Staircase of the Grand Egyptian Museum, after equipping and fixing the bases of all the heavy statues including statues of King Ramses II, Ptah, Sekhmet, King Amenhotep III, Queen Hatshepsut, Ptah, Hathor, Senusert III in addition to a distinguished group of other heavy monuments. Atef Moftah, supervisor of the GEM, said that the special lighting effects were tested and found very effective.

His Eminence Bishop Makarios of Minya and Abu Qurqas held the monthly meeting for priests, through video conference in which they discussed alternative service methods under the current circumstances. The church has stopped all activates due to Coronavirus, including meetings and church education services.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch St. Mark See, said that the decision to close the churches was difficult, yet necessary to save lives of the Coptic people. Pope said that people should benefit from the current time of the curfew to repent, pray, and think about their spiritual lives.

The Coptic Orthodox Church announced that Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, will lead a joint prayers from home of the Christian people asking for God’s mercy. Pope has invited all Christians to pray for God in order to save humanity from the new Coronavirus known as Kovid 19. The prayers started at midday with (our father who art in heaven) and the Coptic preyer ‘Lord have mercy’.

Father Paulous Halim, spokesperson for the Coptic Orthodox Church, denounced myth of healing Coronavirus by searching for a hair in the bible. People claimed that whoever finds the hair should puts it in the water and then drinks it to be saved from the virus. He added that such lies and myths insult our faith and even insults God’s gift, which is mind.

The Evangelical Church of Bani Ghani Village in Samalut, Minya governorate, witnessed the first wedding ceremony for a Coptic couple who celebrated their love in the time of the Coronavirus spread all over the world. They put on masks and gloves and held chlorine bottles for cleaning. The wedding festival was only attended by few members of their families and priest of the church.

Dr. Mina Thabet, coordinator of the Wise and General Congregation Council, said that a number of monks of the Egyptian monasteries demanded immediate volunteering in places of high-risk Quarantine, including those who were doctors and pharmacists before embracing monasticism This reminds us of what St. Anthony did in the fourth century when he left he monastery to serve the people in their crisis

The Egyptian Orthodox Cathedral in Kuwait celebrated yesterday the Divine Liturgy without the presence of its congregation. The same decision was taken at the Coptic churches in Canada and the USA. Pope Tawadros II has also held the weekly sermon without allowing the congregation to enter the church due to Coronavirus.

Bishop Theodosius of Giza inaugurated the Church of St. Mina and Pope Kyrillos in Hadabet Al-ahram in Giza. The inauguration rites was assisted by a group of priests, deacons, and servants of the church.

Bihsop Peter of North and South Carolina and the Pontifical Vicar of Virginia issued new decisions regarding the spread of the Corona virus, relating to gatherings, masses and meetings. He decided that the people would not participate in attending masses, broadcast prayers over the Internet, and invited the people to read the Bible and practice prayers regularly at home. This comes amid global concerns about the spread of the Corona epidemic with its widespread ability to spread and infection.

Pope Tawadros II, held today his weekly meeting at the Papal Headquarters in Abbasia without the attendance of the congregation as part of new measures taken due to Coronavirus. The church has announced to stop holding holy masses in Canada and the USA within the framework of the same crisis.

Bishop Tawadros II of Alexandria issued a decision to stop divine liturgy and church activities in America and Canada due to Coronavirus and that they will be limited to priests. This comes after Dr. Tedros Adhanum, Director of the World Health Organization, confirmed that the European continent has become the focus of Coronavirus, as European countries recorded a significant increase in the number of coronavirus infections and deaths as well.