Egyptian churches witness 'breakthrough' following 2016 law on building churches

CAIRO – 22 March 2022: Egyptian churches witnessed in “breakthrough” after the issuance of the law on building churches in 2016, said the spokesperson of the Coptic Orthodox Church in a Tuesday report.

A total of 1,882 churches and affiliated buildings have been licensed since 2016, said Father Moussa Ibrahim, emphasizing the establishment of the largest cathedral in the Middle East in the Administrative Capital over 63,000 square meters.

Meanwhile, head of the Evangelical community in Egypt, Dr. Andrea Zaki, said only 500 churches were licensed in 200 years. However, 1,070 churches and affiliated buildings have been licensed in the past four years.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the first Egyptian president to attend a Christmas Mass in 2015 and has not missed the event ever since. The gesture has stepped-up his popularity amongst the community to great levels.

He also ordered that all churches that were damaged due to violent protests after the dispersal of the 2013 Rabaa sit-in be fixed at the expense of the state. Some 72 churches were sabotaged and later renovated in the events.

Approximately 10 percent of the Egyptian population (100 million) are Christian.