Major General Baki Zaki Youssef, the army officer credited with the idea to destroy the Bar Lev line on the Suez Canal s eastern bank during the 1973 Arab Israeli war has died at the age of 87. Youssef is an Egyptian Coptic officer who was born in the Sinai Peninsula on 23 July 1931. He graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1954 and then joined the army until the late 1980s.

Catholic church in Egypt is going to inaugurate the cave and shrine of the Holy Family in Assuit next Sunday under the patronage of His Beatitude Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac, Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church, and His Eminence Archbishop Kyrillos William, Archbishop of Assiut. The new church and shrine are at the church of our lady at the Monastery of Dranka - Assiut, which is supervised by Franciscan Fathers in Egypt.

Copts in Australia launched a campaign demanding the removal of inverted crosses placed at a festival. Abba Suriel, bishop of Melbourne, had expressed his anger at the inverted cross put at the Hobart Winter Festival, which was held in the capital city of Tasmania, Australia. They called the authorities to remove the inverted Cross and to prevent such insults using religious symbols.

In a scene revealed the true Egyptian nature, the Imam of a mosque in Shobra al-Khaima used the loudspeakers of the mosques to call on the Muslims to extinguish the fire at the church. People rushed to the church and did whatever they could to extinguish the fire erupted at the church. Priest of the church expressed his gratitude and thanks for all those who helped to extinguish the fire.

His Holiness Pope Twadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, visited today the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to congratulate him on Eid al-Fitr. The two leaders expressed their love and wished for Egypt progress and prosperity.

Executive committee of the Council of Churches of Egypt held a meeting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Virgin appearance in Zeitoun at the church of the apparition in Zietoun. In a press release, the committee congratulated the chuch on the anniversary and congratulated president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi for being re-elected as President for second term.

Copts in Atfih demand the opening of the two recently closed churches in Kar Waslin and Qababat villages. The churches were closed after being attacked by fanatics as police decided to satisfy the assailants instead of punishing them. Atef Nazmy, lawyer, denounced the policy of arresting Copts among the assailants who attach churches in order to force them to give up and waiver their rights in order to get released.

10 Copts and 12 Muslims charged with sectarian violence at Housh Eissa, Behira were released on bail. Reconciliation meeting will be held at the village to settle things up. Copts of the village denounced arresting the Copts along with the assailants to force them to give up their rights later.

7 Copts were injured in an attack on St. Mark church in Behira governorate which is under construction. The fanatics attacked the church refusing to allow the Copts to hold prayers in it. The building was stoned and car of the priest was destroyed. Police arrested 9 Copts and 11 Muslims forcing the Coptic party to accept reconciliation with the fanatics who attacked their church.

Police allowed visitors of the monastery of St. Samuel the confessor to commemorate the first anniversary of the martyrs whom were killed on their way to the monastery. The commemorative mass will be celebrated next Saturday at the monastery and will be headed by Abba Bacilious, head of the monastery. This came after the monastery called the president to intervene and allow visitors to the monastery.

The diocese of Maghagha headed by His Grace Bishop Agathon commemorates the first anniversary of the martyrs of St. Samuel monastery in which 28 Copts were shot dead by the terrorists. Bishop Agathon is going to transfer the bodies of 7 martyrs of Dir al-Garnous village to a special shrine prepared for them next to the church of St. Mary in their village.

At the first anniversary of the massacre of St. Samuel Monastery, the monks appealed to president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to lift what they called the siege of the monastery and called him to allow visitor in. Visitors of the monastery as well as workers have been prevented several times from visiting the monastery.

Abba Maksimus, bishop of Benha, inaugurated the church of St. Demiana in Shiakha village in Benha. After the inauguration ceremony, the deacon Flimon Fayez was ordained a priest at the church.

The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church recognized St. George Monastery for Nuns in Ireland as the first Coptic convent for nuns in Europe according to Bishop Anthony of Scotland and Ireland.

The Patriarch of the Catholic Copts, Abba Ibrahim Isaac, received an invitation from the Coptic Orthodox Church at attend the Century of Sunday School in Egypt. The celebration will be held on May 13 and the invitation was carried by Dr. Gerges Ibrahim Saleh, Secretary General of the Council of Churches of the Middle East.

A Coptic Christian woman was insulted while shopping at KikiRicki clothing shop because of her religion. The Christian woman published her story on Facebook which raised the anger of her friends and led the administration of the shop announced it fired the fanatic employee.

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.