This evening (Thursday), H.H. Pope Tawadros II attended the annual celebration of Coptic Press and Media Day, which was held at the Papal Residence in Cairo. Also present were H.E. Metropolitan Tadros (Metropolitan of Port Said), Metropolitan Marcos (Metropolitan of Shoubra El-Kheima), H.G. Bishop Botros (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop Ermia (General Bishop), H.G. Bishop Marcos (Bishop of Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and El-Barari), along with a number of priests and representatives of the Coptic press and media.
This celebration, held for the third consecutive year, bore the title “Coptic Press and Media and the Christian Home.” It included addresses by H.E. Metropolitan Marcos and H.G. Bishop Marcos, as well as a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Ramy Atta with Professor Samia Qadri (Professor of Sociology), Dr. Sameh Fawzy (Senior Researcher at the Library of Alexandria) and Dr. Ramy Saeed (specialist in the field of artificial intelligence).
In a gracious gesture, the Al-Ahram Foundation presented His Holiness with a copy of the front page of Al-Ahram newspaper dated November 4, 1952 (the day of His Holiness’ birth), as well as a copy of the front page issued on the day the Holy Lot was drawn, November 4, 2012, in honor of His Holiness.
Aghapy TV, CTV, MeSAT, Koogi, and the Church’s official media system (the Media Center, the official website, and the C.O.C. channel), as well as “Donya al-Tifl” magazine, were all honored. The names of several late writers and thinkers were also commemorated.
In his speech, Pope Tawadros presented three statements concerning the family:
“The family is the icon of the Church.”
This means that the family is the source of the Church’s beauty. From the family come forth the saints, and it is the family that preserves society by instilling human values in its members. His Holiness noted that the Church prays the rites of the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony for the bride and groom before the sanctuary, in the same place where bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained.
He also reminded the audience that the word “Family” may be regarded as an acronym for the phrase: “Father and Mother, I Love You.”
“Since the appearance of the mobile phone, the age of humanity has ended.”
Devices have become the controlling force over human beings; therefore, we must strive spiritually to strengthen human will, that a person may preserve his or her own value. His Holiness warned that the mobile phone steals time and, consequently, steals one’s life.
“The age of triviality.”
Among its features is that people choose what is easiest and worst, applauding empty personalities and elevating them until they become celebrities who reap extraordinary gains, while serious individuals are pushed to the margins. The family plays a decisive role in this: it can produce either a frivolous person or a serious one.
Pope Tawadros urged the press and media channels to devote attention to preparing awareness programs related to building the family, beginning from childhood.
This page is also available in:
العربية
