The spokesperson for the Coptic Orthodox Church, priest Bolus Halim, announced on Wednesday that Christmas Mass will take place in the largest church in Egypt, a new cathedral in the New Administrative Capital, instead of the Cathedral of St. Mark in Abbasiya, Cairo.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi revealed in January that in January 2018 he plans to inaugurate both the largest church and mosque in Egypt in the New Administrative Capital.
Currently, Abbasiya’s Cathedral of St. Mark is not only the largest in Egypt, but also the largest cathedral in both Africa and the Middle East.
During his participation in the 2017 Christmas celebrations in the Cathedral of St. Mark, Sisi called on contractors constructing the New Administrative Capital to accelerate progress towards completion of the cathedral, the mosque, and a large center for administration by the end of 2018.
In a speech celebrating the diversity of Egypt, Sisi said, “God willing, next year [2018] we will celebrate the construction of establishments that reflect the great respect we have for each other, and each other’s religions and choices.”
