Churches in Cairo, Alexandria to re-open August 3: Pope Tawadros II

CAIRO- 25 July 2020:  Churches in Cairo and Alexandria will re-open on August 3, announced Pope Tawadros II, the pope of Alexandria and patriarch of the See of St. Mark, in an interview with Extra News.

Late June, the Standing Committee of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church decided, under the chairmanship of his Holiness Pope Tawadros II, to postpone re-opening churches in Cairo and Alexandria for two weeks or more due to high infection rates there.

Muslim and Christian worship places were closed indefinitely as part of the state's comprehensive plan to face the COVID-19 pandemic late March. The government announced re-opening mosques under strict precautionary measures as of Saturday, as part of a plan to gradually open up vital places, including: restaurants and cafes.

Meanwhile, Egyptian mosques and Al-Azhar re-opened on June 27 after being sterilized to receive the worshippers every day except for Fridays, after a three-month closure.

Minister of Awqaf [Endowment] Mukhtar Gomaa said in a sermon in Mohamed Ali Mosque that worshipers should wash for prayers at home, wear a face mask, and avoid hand-shaking. He added that ill people are advised to not go to the mosques, noting that by abiding by these rules, the congregational prayers could be resumed again.

The ministry asked every mosque to provide masks for the worshippers, and close the door of the mosque after completing the number of the worshippers inside. In addition, a 150-centimeter distance among worshippers should be maintained inside mosques nationwide.