The third level of the Development of Ecclesiastical Education project has started by training 234 priests and ministers from 13 dioceses. The delegations arrived from Abu Tij, Sadafa, Ghanayem, Dir Mawas, Samalut, Monofiya, Tanta, Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra, Al-Beheira and Matrouh. Ain Shams and Mataria. The training program is scheduled to take place on 5 training sessions from October 1 to November 1, 2018. The project aims to train 1000 priests, ministers and servants from all the dioceses and pastoral areas.

Asya Bibi, a Pakistani woman, was sentenced to death, on charges of insulting Islam or blasphemy. Her family appealed to the court to release her, and the Vatican supported their call. The story dates back to 2009, when she was accused of insulting Islam before women she worked with in a field, and was sentenced later to death.

His Grace Bishop Guargius, Bishop of Matay, inaugurated today the church of St. Mark the Apostle in Koum Matai where 6 alters were inaugurated at the church. The Church was built according to a royal decree in 1942, and was rebuilt recently by a presidential decision issued in 2011. The prayers were attended by Abba Markos, Bishop of Shobra al-Khaima who also participated in the promotion of three priests to the rank of Hegumin.

Police in Assuit are investigating the mysterious murder of a Coptic Christian doctor who was killed in his clinic in the center of Dairout, Assuit. The murderer was wearing a shawl that hide his face and used white weapons to commit his crime.

His Grace Abba Serapion, Bishop of Los Angeles, said that the Egyptian Church was officially invited to the Conference of World Leaders and Traditional Religions. He added that Coptic church always talk about its good relations with Al-Azhar and gives an example of tolerance existed in Egypt.

The Egyptian government agreed on Thursday to regulate the status of 120 churches and a service buildings. It s wroth mention that this decision raises the total number of 340 churches and a service buildings.

For the first time in the Arab world, parliament of Tunisia has adopted a law criminalizing racist speech, incitement to hatred and discrimination. The legislation was approved after a lengthy debate with 125 members of parliament voting for it, one against and five abstaining.

Professor Abdul Wahhab Ezzat, President of the University of Ain Shams, received Bishop Armia, President of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center, and Dr. Paolo Sabatini, Director of the Italian Cultural Center in Cairo. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the university and aimed to discuss means of cooperation between Ain Shams University and Italian universities in the field of education, cultural relations and restoration of antiquities.

In a surprise tour, Major General Magdy Amer, Minya security director, visited the monastery of St. Mary in Jabal al-Tir to inspect its security measure. After visiting the monastery he headed to other security establishments in the area.

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, headed to Florida, his last stop in the current pastoral care visit to the United States of America. Spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church Father Abraham Azmy, said that Pope opened a new building at the church and inaugurated the church. It is worth mentioning that this is the second visit of Pope Tawadros II to America since his enthronement as Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

During his visit to New York, Pope Tawadros II opened a service center of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Brooklyn. Pope also honored police officers who were among the first Egyptian immigrants to America. Among the honored members was the investigator Mohammed Amin, an Egyptian American who is responsible for places of worship in New York City.

Copts United visited the new archaeological well that was discovered in the monastery of St. Makkar in Wadil Natroun. The well was discovered coincidentally next to the monastery s archeological church.

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, sent a congratulatory message to the Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to congratulate him on the victory of October 45th anniversary. Pope wished the best for Egypt and its army against all dangers and foreign threats.

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.