The patriarch of the Orthodox Coptic Church is calling for calm after violence broke out following a funeral for four Coptic Christians who were killed the day before in more religious fighting.
Theodore II said «calm must be maintained, also to preserve the country’s security and national unity.»
The patriarch expressed his disapproval given last Sunday afternoon’s confrontations outside the St Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo. Theodore II announced that he is in permanent contact with the officials of the Ministry of the Interior to promote a rapid end to this critical moment.
The post-funeral violence on Sunday resulted in another death and dozens of wounded.
According to Egyptian sources, on Sunday afternoon President Morsi assured Patriarch Theodore by telephone of his commitment to halt the escalation of the interreligious conflicts, insisting that he regards “all the attacks against churches as a personal attack” against him.
