Pope Tawadros II Urges Every Egyptian to Present a Beautiful and Distinctive Image of the Nation to the World

Pic - Gerges Mounir Hanna

Pic – Gerges Mounir Hanna

Pic - Gerges Mounir Hanna

Pic – Gerges Mounir Hanna

Gerges Mounir Hanna – Editor of Coptic Affairs – OCP News Service – 2/6/22

Cairo-Egypt: His Holiness Pope Tawadros II celebrated the Liturgy on the Feast of the arrival of the Holy Family to Egypt (Feast of our Lord’s Entry into Egypt ) at the Church of the Virgin Mary in Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh of the Diocese of Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh and Al-Barari on 1/6/2022. Upon his arrival at the church, the Pope inspected the Museum of Antiquities, which has the stone imprinted with the footprint of the Child Jesus, and an icon painted on “deer skin” depicting the beginning of creation until the coming of Christ, along with a number of rare manuscripts.

 In the sermon, during the liturgy, he pointed out that the feast of the entry of Christ into the land of Egypt is a distinct feast in the Coptic church, in Egypt, and in the history. He addressed three dimensions specific to this feast:
1- The Biblical dimension: He mentioned that the words “Egypt” and “Egyptians” appeared in the Bible several times, and that the Church of Egypt was built through:
(1.a) Prophecy: “Blessed be Egypt, my people” (Isaiah 19:25).
(1.b) Ziyarah: i.e. the visit of the Holy Family
(1.c) Preaching: that is, the preaching of St. Mark in Egypt and the emergence of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
2- The ecclesiastical dimension: For centuries, the Church has celebrated this feast with melodies of joy.
3- The national dimension: which is embodied in the state’s interest in the Holy Family’s journey, as a competitive tourism advantage.

Pope affirmed that Christ, when he came to Egypt, blessed all Egyptians, pointing out that this ancient history confirms that the Coptic Orthodox Church is a church with roots in Egypt and in Christian history. He alluded to the fact that the Coptic church in the diaspora is celebrating on this day, the Global Coptic Day, through many activities that express the Egyptian Coptic identity which indeed profess the beauty of the Coptic Church and Egypt to the world. He also urged that every Egyptian has to present a beautiful and distinctive image of Egypt to the outer world.

Twelve Bishops, several priests, monks and members of Sakha Church participated in the prayers.

Source:
OCP News Service

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