The Supreme State Security Prosecution investigated 11 terrorists who are members in a terrorist cell that planned to target and carry out a series of attacks against churches and important installations. They were arrested as they were hiding in the Qalyubia and Alexandria governorates. Investigations revealed that a number of these elements received financial support from terrorist fugitives in North Sinai to finance their attacks.

Funeral of Tharwat Basili, the Coptic businessman, was held in the Church of the Virgin and St. Athnasius in Nasr City on Saturday. The prayers were headed by Pope Tawadros II and members of the Holy Synod in addition to thousands of the Coptic people. The body was laid in a cemetery at the church of St. Mary in Cairo next to CTV channel that he founded 10 years ago.

Copts in Nekhaila complained against intolerance of city council as it hinders rebuilding the church after its demolition. They said the church has obtained a permit to demolish a 400 square meter church and build 1200 new church on the same land, but the city council now hinders building the church after demolishing the old building.

Following the path of the Holy Family in Egypt, a delegation from the Vatican visited a number of places that were visited by the Holy Family in Cairo. The delegation was accompanied by Abba Youlious, Bishop of Old Cairo, and several officials as they visited St. Bishoy monastery.

A Facebook page called underground published new threats to Copts especially at churches and monasteries on the name of St. George and St. Demiana. The same page had published threats prior to the terrorist attacks at St. Mark in Alexandria and St. George in Tanta. Police have taken extra security measures to secure churches at the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

Egyptian government assigned 30 million EGP to pave the road of St. Samuel monastery. The new road is about 30 kilometers and will help securing the way after the bloody terrorist attack that targeted a bus backed with Copts.

Police in Minya prevented Abba Pasilious, head of St. Samuel monastery, and Abba Tadrus, Bishop of Port Said, from visiting the monastery. The Bishops were accompanying dozens of Copts who intended to visit the monastery when the police told them that they can t secure the trip and they should return back.

A Coptic man was accused of attacking public properties with members of the Muslim Brotherhood after the dispersal of Rabaa Adawia and Nahda sit-ins. Badawy Makram, the Coptic defendant, said that he doesn t belong to the Muslim Brotherhood and a policeman had put his name in the case to take avenge from him for previous disagreement.

Abba Anthonios Morkos, Bishop of African Affairs of the Coptic Orthodox Church, held blessing prayers in the piece of land on which the first Coptic church in Malawi will be built. The foundation stone of the Coptic church will be laid next February. The blessing prayers were attended by several officials and clergy.

Abba Makarious, Bishop of Minya, condemned the terrorist incident that killed 305 martyrs during prayer on Friday. The bishop canceled a celebration to ordain new priests and rang sad bell melodies in all churches of the diocese in mourn for mosque attack.

Coptic America organization denounced the bloody attack on the Al-Rawda mosque in which 305 people were killed including children. The organization offered its sincere condolences with Dr. Abdul Hadi Qasabi, Sheikh of Sufi leaders in Egypt and Chairman of the Social Solidarity Committee in the Egyptian Parliament, and called the government to take revenge for the martyrs and victims.

Abba Serafim, Bishop of Ismailia, headed a church delegation to visit, victims of the terrorist attack against a mosque in North Sinai assuring that the attack crosses all borders and was a bad surprise to reach mosques and kill innocent Muslim worshippers. He said the church prays for the victims and their families and for Egypt to overcome terrorism and increasing obstacles.

Samallout diocese announced that the shrine prepared for martyrs of faith and homeland in the village of Aour in Minya is ready. The Bishop of Samalut, Abba Pfinotius, said the shrine is now ready to receive the bodies of the martyrs at any time.

Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told families of the 21 martyrs of Libya that the DNA test they performed proved the bodies belong to their children. The 20 Copts from Minya were beheaded by Daesh, also known as Islamic State (IS) or ISIL, in Libya January 2015.

For the first time, Egyptian Currency Bureau issued a group of commemorative coins about the life of Jesus Christ. The collection included 12 coins made from silver demonstrating stories about Christ taken from the Holy Bible.

A delegation of Coptic bishops traveled to London to participate in the enthronement ceremony of Abba Angelos, Bishop of London. The celebration was attended by the Egyptian ambassador to London, a number of British officials, Bishop Bakhomius, former acting Patriarch and Bishop Raphael, Secretary of the Holy Synod.

Families of the martyrs of Libya appealed to the government to return the bodies of their sons to their hometown. A church was built on the name of the martyrs in Awr village and a special shrine was prepared to bury their bodies in.

Priest of the church of St. Mary and St. George in Sheikh Alaa village in Minya governorate held a sit-in in the church to denounce the closer of it after the fanatics attacked the building and destroyed its contents. The priest is accompanied by 3 deacons in the church were they hold the holy mass every day. It s worth mentioning that the church was attacked two years ago by the fanatics and the police had decided to close it then after the attack without accountability for the fanatics.

The total number of churches that were closed in Minya within a week reached three churches, and Copts were prevented from holding their prayers in them. This came after fanatics had demonstrated against the churches claiming they are not licensed, which made police close them.

A group of hardliners stoned a building related to the church as well as some houses of Copts as punishment for performing their prayers in the building. They perpetrators tried to storm into the building and destroy the surveillance cameras and also to set the church on fire. Police intervened and stopped them from breaking into the church and attack the Copts.

Council of Churches of Egypt issued a statement to condemn the terrorist attack on policemen in Wahat province near Cairo. On Saturday, Egyptian Interior Ministry announced that 16 policemen were killed and another was missing in the Friday shootout with terrorists in Wahat area in the desert of Giza province.