AFRICA/EGYPT - Catholic Senators will not resign, so they give a sign of willingness to cooperate

Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Senators members of the Shura, the upper house of the Egyptian Parliament, will remain and not follow the footsteps of Nadia Henry, their Anglican colleague who resigned in protest against the new Constitution approved by the government dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. This is confirmed to Fides Agency by the Bishop of Assiut, Kyrillos William, Patriarchal Vicar of the Catholic Copts.
The two Catholic senators appointed by President Morsi - the Coptic Catholic Jamil Habib and the Melkite Majid Akkad - expressed their intention before the Assembly of the Catholic hierarchy in Egypt, gathered yesterday and today in Cairo for its winter session. "The two politicians – says to Fides Anba Kyrillos - have given proof of their maturity of lay people who act with perceived Christian conscience. They reiterated that their work for the good of Egypt, and not for the interest of the Church, because the Church does not defend her particular needs, but desires the good of all Egyptians. The two senators have told us the decision to remain in office, to give a sign of their willingness to cooperate with everyone. 'If things were to take a totally opposed direction to democracy' added the two politicians we will rethink our choices."
The Christian senators present in the Shura are 13 out of 270. Eight of them are appointed by the president. The ninety senators appointed directly by Morsi, at least 41 belong to the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist formations. In two months, elections to renew the lower House of parliament are scheduled. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 29/12/2012).