Bishop Daniel says Egypt, Sudan share same soul

CAIRO – 14 May 2017: “A nation without churches is better than churches without a nation,” said Bishop Daniel, the bishop of Maadi churches, Saturday night as he received a delegation of African journalists at the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the Abasseya district in Cairo.

The bishop welcomed the delegation on behalf of Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark.

Bishop Daniel, who is also the papal deputy, affirmed mutual respect and coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, and that the extreme intellectual deviations are odd.

“Egypt and Sudan share the same soul and are being sustained by the Nile, many Copts have moved and settled there; we are an extension to each other,” Daniel said. “Egyptians are fond of the Sudanese because they are known for their kindness and honesty; we are brothers,” he added.

As for terrorism, the bishop said it exists in many places in the Middle East; furthermore, Coptic Egyptians are “supporting their country in facing it”.

He also stressed that Christians are not a minority in Egypt, as they are at least 15 million citizens, which is equivalent to more than 15% of the total population.

According to Daniel, when religion interferes with the state, religion gets weakened while the state gets badly affected; affirming that the church’s role is to preach and serve.

The visit comes within a series of meetings that are being held in coordination with the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development.