Pope Tawadros: Egypt addressing Palestinian crisis with wisdom; Joint religious committee will call for peace

CAIRO – 7 January 2024: Pope Tawadros II, the Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, said Egypt is utilizing its historical weight and pioneering regional position to deal with the Palestinian cause with wisdom and precision.

In TV remarks, Pope Tawadros shed light on Egypt’s role in delivering aid to the Palestinian people, including the aid coming from the world countries.

The pope wished peace to prevail on the ground.

Furthermore, the pope highlighted a planned joint religious committee bringing together Al-Azhar sheikhs and the Egyptian churches to act in one voice in the face of violence and in pursuit of peace.

“Peace is a very important thing that no human can live without,” the pope added.

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb and Pope Tawadros II agreed on Wednesday on establishing a joint committee that acts in one voice against the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement was made after El-Tayyeb visited the pope to extend his greetings to the Christian people on Christmas, wishing Egyptian people a happy new year and confirming the cohesion between the Muslim and Christian people in Egypt.

The committee will be in charge of generating a unified Egyptian voice rejecting the Israeli crimes in Gaza and defending the rights of the Palestinian people.

The pope’s remarks come a day after the Cathedral of Christ's Nativity in the Administrative Capital held the Christmas mass, which witnessed the attendance of numerous public figures, ministers, governors, as well as members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Furthermore, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited the Cathedral during the mass to extend greetings to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and the Christian people across the country on Christmas.

In a speech during his brief visit, Sisi wished an end to the challenges that the entire world and the region have endured over the past year, especially the Gaza crisis.

“We have a respectable stance toward Gaza, and we strive for, at the very least, a ceasefire and the entry of aid to alleviate the suffering of our brothers in the strip. Then, afterwards, a solution to the recurring cause that causes pain for all of us,” Sisi stated.