Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church to take part in constitutional poll

Ahram Online – 14/12/12 Pope Tawadros II says Egypt’s Coptic Church will not push its congregants to vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in upcoming referendum on draft constitution. At a Thursday meeting with the Council of Catholic Churches in Egypt, Pope Tawadros II, head of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church, said that Christians in Egypt enjoyed “complete freedom” to participate in the upcoming constitutional referendum, stressing that Copts should “go and vote.” Tawadros II also stressed at the meeting that the Orthodox Church would not push Christians to vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the upcoming poll. The Orthodox Church sent a memo earlier on Thursday to the presidency regarding constitutional draft articles that it did not approve of.