CAIRO – 13 October 2021: Archbishop Justin Welby, of Canterbury, England said, Thursday that Egypt is a country that has a ‘religious freedom’, while other people live nearby in the region ‘dose not enjoy the same rights and freedoms.
He added in statements to Sada el Balad news channel, that one of the important challenges in all societies is allowing and enjoying ‘religious freedom’. However, Egypt has been able to achieve this throughout the history.
He noted that the increase of churches numbers in the country is ‘great evidence’ of religious freedoms in Egypt.
Welby added that 10 years ago, that freedom was not available at that level in Egypt. ‘But Egyptians were able, with patience and determination, to realize their hopes and provide the appropriate atmosphere to live in peace, in the midst of a society that respects difference and appreciates everyone.’ Welby said.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the world Anglican church, visited last Sunday Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros at the papal office in Cairo, accompanied by Samy Fawzy, the head of the Episcopal/Anglican church in Alexandria and a number of leading Anglican clergymen from across the world.
Welby said the Anglican church holds the Orthodox church in high esteem.
For his part, Pope Tawadros congratulated the Anglican church over establishing a regional headquarters in Alexandria and praised the unity between Egypt's Muslims and Copts.
Fawzy announced last September that Welby will be attending the inaugural ceremony of a new province for the Anglican Church in Alexandria
“The visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury is a historic event,” he said, adding that the Alexandria province is the 41st member of the global Anglican Communion of Churches. The province bears the name of Alexandria because of its importance in the ancient Christian world.
Alexandria province serves 10 countries namely Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, he said, adding that Egypt’s presidency of the province comes in light of the Anglican Church’s role in serving refugees and presenting remarkable programs of Islamic-Christian dialogue.
It was reported by the Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) on June 29, 2020, that the Diocese of Egypt, which was formally affiliated to North Africa and the Horn of Africa, has completely turned to be an autonomous province, upon its request to secede from its province.
When the General Synod of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East approved the request, the Diocese of Egypt now comes under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The statement also added that Archbishop has signed a Deed of Relinquishment and of the inauguration of the new Episcopal Province of Alexandria.
“It has been part of the Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East but now with growth and development and the planting of churches in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere; with its service to its community regardless of ethnicity or of religion, it has grown to the point where it is now becoming an independent Province,” the Archbishop of Canterbury was quoted as saying by the statement.
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