AFRICA/EGYPT - President Sisi endorses the new regulation for the election of the Coptic Pope

Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi approved yesterday, Tuesday, March 24, the decree containing the rules and procedures for the election of the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Sources of the Coptic Patriarchate report that the Presidency has ratified the regulation which had been proposed by the same Coptic Orthodox Church, without making any changes.
"In the draft submitted to presidential approval - refers to Agenzia Fides Anba Botros Fahim Awad Hanna, Coptic Catholic Archbishop of Minya - articles considered irrelevant to the present state of the Coptic Orthodox Church had been revised or deleted. Among other things, the involvement in the electoral body of representatives of the Coptic Orthodox communities in the Diaspora, which now counts more than two million members was expected for the first time. The percentages reserved for different categories and different dioceses within the body of representatives in charge of the election were also revised".
The new regulation is composed of 36 articles, and provides that, to become Patriarchs, you have to be born to Egyptian Coptic Orthodox parents, be a monk for at least 15 years and be between 45 and 64 years of age. The election of the Patriarch falls within the Community law of the Coptic Orthodox enshrined in the Constitution, which guarantees to Christians the right to elect the leaders of their church communities. So this is a procedure guaranteed by civil law, and therefore must obtain the consent of confirmation of the offices of the Presidency of the Republic. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 25/03/2015)