Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, through spokesman Father Boulos Halim, confermed the ban to visit Jerusalem, as provided in 1979 by the then Patriarch Shenouda III, which remains in force for the faithful Orthodox Copts. This was made known by Coptic sources consulted by Agenzia Fides. The clarification by the patriarchal spokesman comes after the intervention of Hazem Abu Shenab, a prominent member of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah, leading organization within the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization), who in recent days had implicitly criticized the disciplinary measure, arguing that the visits of Christians to the Holy City - especially at Christmas and Holy Week - represent a material and spiritual comfort for the Palestinian Arab population of the Holy Land, who pay for the effects of a provision originally taken as a sign of solidarity of Coptic Christians toward the Palestinians, in the framework of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The indication not to visit the Holy City, therefore, remains in force, repeats Fr. Halim - until the "Muslim brothers" of the Egyptian nation can freely enter Jerusalem.
Already last year, the journey carried out by ninety Coptic Christians during Holy Week to the Holy Land had given way to several observers to point out the irrelevance of anti-pilgrimage disciplinary measure, in the framework of the existing relations between the two neighboring nations .
Coptic Patriarch Shenouda III (1923-2012) forbade the faithful of his Church to make pilgrimages in the Jewish state and had not changed his position even after the normalization of relations between Egypt and Israel desired by President Sadat. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 26/03/2015)
