Pope Tawadros II Celebrates the First Divine Liturgy in the New Administrative Headquarters Cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church

Gerges Mounir Hanna – OCP News Service – 10/11/2024

Cairo – Egypt: On November 09,2024, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II celebrated the first Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saints Mark and Pope Cyril VI (under construction) at the new administrative and service headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the “Triangle of Hope” area in New Cairo.

Upon his arrival at the cathedral, His Holiness unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the occasion of the first Divine Liturgy in the Triangle of Hope area, and he posed for a photo with several church dignitaries to commemorate this historic event.

Participating with His Holiness in the liturgy were 21 bishops and archbishops, the patriarchal deputies in Cairo and Alexandria, a number of priests, the choir of St. Rewis Clerical College, some monks, heads of convents, consecrated men and women, dignitaries, professors of theological colleges and institutes, as well as representatives from church bodies, institutions, and Coptic schools.

In his sermon, His Holiness spoke of the importance of this event, saying: “This is an important day in the history of the nation and the church, as all of us present here will be witnesses that we participated in the first liturgy celebrated on this ground.”

His Holiness emphasized that this church, where the liturgy was held, is the seed of a future project, a project with a long-term vision.

His Holiness stated: “History will record that in our present time, the Egyptian state cares for its citizens, grants them their rights, and strives for equality.” He added: “This reflects a positive image of Egypt to the world.” He further added, “The church is one of the pillars of the Egyptian nation and society, remaining faithful throughout history and in patriotism.”

Speaking of the new administrative and service headquarters of the church in the Triangle of Hope, His Holiness noted that it is the church’s eighth headquarters, complementing the new papal headquarters at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the new administrative capital.

His Holiness recalled that the construction of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the new administrative capital was announced by President Sisi in January 2017 during his Christmas greetings to us at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbassia. At that time, he promised that we would celebrate the next Christmas in a new cathedral, and indeed, it was inaugurated by him in January 2018. Since then, the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ has hosted festive events where we welcome the President each Christmas, ordain bishops, and hold other events. Alongside it is the papal headquarters, while here (in the Triangle of Hope) is the general headquarters of the Coptic Church, encompassing all church administrations, institutions, the Holy Synod, and the seminary.

His Holiness praised the Church Building Law, which has made it legally possible to build hundreds of churches after centuries of hardship.

On choosing the name “Triangle of Hope” for the church, His Holiness explained that it was named after Saint Mark, our great evangelist, and Pope Cyril VI, who was canonized by the Holy Synod and who moved the church’s headquarters from Al-Azbakiya to the St. Rewis area in Abbassia.

His Holiness expressed sincere gratitude to all attendees for accepting the invitation and participating in this historic day, especially thanking everyone who contributed their efforts, particularly the engineers, and those who supported the project through donations from church members in Egypt and abroad. He concluded, “We have faith that God is working and guiding our lives, and we will continue to serve despite the challenges from the adversary.”

The Triangle of Hope land in the Sixth Settlement of New Cairo serves as the new administrative headquarters for the Coptic Orthodox Church. The church obtained the 30-acre plot under an allocation system to build an extension to St. Mark’s Cathedral there, according to a presidential decree issued in 2015. Planned for the “Triangle of Hope” site are headquarters for the church’s educational, administrative, and service institutions, while the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the new administrative capital houses the papal headquarters. Construction has been completed for three buildings alongside the church where the inaugural liturgy was held, with permits for the remaining buildings underway.

Source:

OCP News Service