Today evening, H.H. Pope Tawadros II prayed the Resurrection Liturgy at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Abbasia, Cairo, with the contribution of several General Bishops Vice patriarchy in Cairo along with some priests and monks.
The Divine Liturgy witnessed the participation of a large number of people, with the application of precise precautionary measures.
The prayers were broadcast on Egyptian television, Official Website of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Coptic satellite channels, and the COC channel of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s media center on the Internet.

At the beginning of the sermon of the Resurrection Divine Liturgy today, H.H. Pope Tawadros II thanked President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for congratulation him on the Easter and also H.H. congratulated the President and Muslim citizens for Ramadan and the approach of Eid Al-Fitr.
H.H. the Pope said: “I would like to thank His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for his love and congratulations to us, as always, on the Easter, and he sent us a congratulatory telegram as well as to all the Coptic Egyptians abroad and was presented to them by the Egyptian ambassadors in our embassies abroad, and on behalf of His Excellency to attend the Divine Liturgy Mr. Major General Ahmed Ali, Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic, and as we thank His Excellency for his good feelings, we congratulate His Excellency and our brothers and partners in the country on the fasting of the holy month of Ramadan and the approaching of the blessed Eid Al-Fitr.”

H.H. also thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates, for congratulating H.H. through a congratulatory telegram.

At the end of the sermon of the Divine Liturgy, H.H. referred to the coincidence of Easts and religious and national holidays threw out a month, and H.H. congratulated the Egyptians on these Easts. The text of his speech is:
“We, my beloved brothers, as we are celebrating the glorious East of Resurrection, we thank you all for your presence, and we are proud in our Egypt that during this month, or during a month, we celebrate several Feasts that we started with fasting, Coptic fasts and Islamic fasts, then here is the East of Resurrection and after a couple of days Eid al-Fitr. May these days come to you with good, then Sinai Liberation Day comes to us on April 25 and also Labor Day on the 1st of May. The national, social and religious holidays meet in harmony and in love. We thank His Excellency the President for his constant love, and we thank all the responsible gentlemen in our dear country, and we pray that May God preserves our lives and the safety of our country, especially in the face of these social, economic and health challenges, and may He keep you all safe in every good deed. May these days come to you with good”.

Delegates of Mr. President, the Prime Minister, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the Head of the General Intelligence Service and a number of senior officials attended the Divine Liturgy for congratulating.

Along with, Adviser to the President for Remote and Border Areas, the Ministers of Electricity, Supply, Environment, Tourism and Antiquities, Social Solidarity, Youth and Sports, Trade and Industry, a number of senior leaders of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Interior, ambassadors of some countries, and representatives of many organizations and institutions also came for congratulating.
H.H. thanked President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for sending a congratulatory telegram, as well as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
H.H. thanked all the officials, representatives of councils, organizations and embassies of countries, who came for congratulating, and those whom delegated their representatives, and those who sent telegrams.
H.H. called for the prayer to the Lord to preserve Egypt and to bring peace to all parts of the world. H.H. said: “We raise our hearts to God, blessed be his name, we pray for the preservation and peace of our country and everywhere, and God delivers peoples from the scourge of wars and conflicts, and we pray for the wisdom to all presidents and leaders of governments and armies, so that love and peace may prevail over all human beings.

And H.H concluded by: “ We thank you all and congratulations for the Feast and thanks for your contribution in that happy Feast”

This page is also available in: العربية (Arabic)