Thousands of Copts and Muslims attended today the funeral of the late Metropolitan Bishoy of Kafr El-Shiekh, Damietta, and head of St. Demiana monastery in Belqas. Governors of Dakahlia, Damietta and Kafr El-Sheikh were among the attendees of the funeral that witnessed extra security measures.

The German channel Deutsche Welle published a report on the status of Copts in the Egyptian sport clubs. Report said that the Copts don t have enough representation in the Egyptian sport clubs. Such lack of fair representation led a Coptic athlete to establish a club to help the Coptic minority.

The monastery of St. Mary in Jabal al-Tir, Samalout, Minya, received a delegation from the Ethiopian church. The huge delegation celebrated the holy Mass at the church of St. Makar and visited the holy places.

During his meeting with the congregation at St. Mary and St. Bachomious church in Stony Bait, Pope Tawadros II answered a question about the relationship between his visit and the visit of the Egyptian president to America. Pope said that his job is to visit his children everywhere and this visit was scheduled last year, but was postponed due to health issues.

After the Egyptian law refused to give a Christian woman any share of her deceased husband inheritance, her son decided to sell her half of his inheritance. The German woman left her country and moved to Egypt with her Egyptian husband and raised their son, but the father died and his inheritance went to his son according to the law.

Sources in the forensic medicine administration said that poisoning remains the closest cause of death of the deceased monk. Sources said that the final report will be issued in couple of days and police will have to investigate whether monk Zenon al-Maqari was killed by poison or he had taken it to commit suicide.

Pope Tawadros II inaugurated the Church of the Virgin Mary in New Jersey and celebrated the holy mass at the inaugurated church. This came during the pastoral care visit to the United States of America during which Pope of Alexandria has inaugurated several churches and met with thousands of the Coptic congregation.

The monastery of St. Makkar held the funeral of Monk Zinon al-Maqarri before he was buried at the cemetery of the monastery. The monk passed away at his cell in al-Muharraq monastery one month after he was moved among 6 monks from St. Makkar monastery.

Police in Suhag is investigating the suspicious death of monk Zinon of St. Makar monastery who passed out today at his new cell at the monastery of St. Mary the Muharraq.

Once again, Sheikh Muhamed Hassan, the Salafist leader appeared in media to prove he is still in power. this appeared as the director of the inspection in Dakahlia Awqaf was dismissed after his complaint against Mohamed Hassan and his brother without holding administrative investigation.

Defamed monk Isaiah of St. Makkar monastery denied today the killing of Bishop Epanious before court assuring that he suffered from huge pressures during police investigations. On the other hand, lawyer of the second defendant monk Fataous said the witnesses are not credible since they disagree with the defendants and are following the doctrine of Father Matthew the poor and they have not even witnessed that murder attack.

His Holiness Pope Twadros II said during a meeting with the people of the Church of the Archangel Michael and St. Martina in Staten Island, New York, that the incident of the killing of Bishop Epiphanius, head of St. Makkar monastery in Wadil Natroun is an accident. He added that police investigated 400 workers and a huge number of monks and the defendants is a former monk who has been investigated by a committee of the Holy Synod. The other defendant monk was not investigated for medical reasons since he is not able to talk, Pope added. Pope explained that he is currently the one in charge of the monastery.

Police in Mansoura city, northern Cairo, is currently investigating the plantation of a homemade bomb under a car in the city. Police were reported about the explosion of a bomb under a car in Toril neighborhood. The explosive device was planted under a Mercedes in the street did not result in any injuries or loss of life.

Many activists denounced the call of Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, to Copts in America to welcome president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi during his upcoming visit to the states. However, Dostour Egyptian newspaper published a letter by the late Pope Shenouda III, in which he calls Copts in America to welcome present Hosni Mubarak in the states in 1985.

At the 40 days anniversary of the departure of Bishop Arsanius of Minya and Abu Qurqas, a new shrine was opened for the late bishop. A group of clergymen has visited the shrine to take blessings of the late bishop.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II celebrated the holy mass and inaugurated the Church of Queen Helena in New York in the presence of Bishop David of New York and the priests and people of the diocese. The Pope arrived yesterday in the United States on a pastoral trip to visit and inaugurated a number of churches.

The church of St. Bishoy in Minya received today the remains of 3 martyrs: St. Philopatir, St. Arpsema, and St. Edrosis. Father Yusab Ezzat, priest of the church, said that the remains of the three martyrs were celebrated at Nayrouz feast of the Coptic martyrs.

Father Mikhail Antoine, Vice President of the Committee for the legalizaion of Orthodox Churches, said that the Committee had received promises to speed up the procedures for the legalization of churches. He added only 212 churches and a building were legalized, since the law was passed adn about 2500 churches are still waiting.

Copts celebrated the new Coptic year with eating speical food, namely: Red dates and guava, which referes to the blood of the martyrs and their strong faith. Vendors of dates and guava sold their goods in front of the churches as Copts celebrate Nayrouz by eating those fruits.

After inaugrating thechuch of St. Mary in Aleppo , Syria, Mar Ignatius Joseph III Jonan, Patriarch of Syriac Catholics, celebrated the first holy mass. 6 deadons were ordianed in the celebration of the church, which was attended by Archbishop Mario Zinari, Archbishop of Aleppo, Archbishop Mar Desnosius, Archbishop of Hasakah, Archbishop Yacoub Bahanan, Archbishop of Baghdad, Patriarchal Vicar for Basra and the Arabian Gulf.

Spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church said that Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See is going to visit the United States of America for the third time. The pastoral care visit will be held in a couple of weeks.