A general view is seen as Egyptians gather by a Coptic church that was bombed on Sunday in Tanta, Egypt, April 9, 2017.
Some churches in the Egyptian city of Minya said they will not hold, or will cut back on, Easter celebrations this year following the twin Palm Sunday bombings in Alexandria and Tanta, which killed 45 Christians.
According to The Independent, the Minya
Coptic Orthodox Diocese announced that Easter celebrations this week will be
limited to just liturgical prayers "without any festive
manifestations."
Egypt is observing a three-month state
of emergency following the suicide bombings on Palm Sunday, which the Islamic
State terror group took responsibility for.
Pope Francis called for solidarity
with Egypt's minority Coptic Christian population, which has been targeted by
Islamic extremists for years now. The pope plans to go ahead with his visit to
Cairo on April 28-29 despite the rising violence.
The director of the Holy See Press
Office, Greg Burke, told journalists that "the Pope's trip to Egypt proceeds
as scheduled," Catholic News Agency reported.
Franciscan Fr. Marco Tasca noted that
the pontiff "very firmly confirmed his trip to Egypt," and that he is
"very informed" on what is going on in the country.
The Vatican leader's visit will in
part be focused on fostering Catholic-Muslim dialogue, aiming to halt the
stream of violence that has been directed toward Christians in the country, who
make up only 10 percent of the population.
Father Rafic Grieche, spokesman for
the Egyptian bishops, also affirmed that Francis has reassured them of his
upcoming visit.
"The pope's mission is to be
beside his brothers at the time of difficulty. Now is the real time that he can
bring peace and hope to the Egyptian people as a whole and to the Christians of
the East, in particular," Grieche said, according to Catholic News Service.
Despite the reported subdued Easter
celebrations and cancellations, Grieche noted that Christians will not stop
going to church, even if they have to go through metal detectors and other
security measures.
"It's not like going to a normal
church. But we need these measures to keep people safe," he said, noting
that even after the suicide bombings, he celebrated Mass with 2,000 people.
"The people knew already about
the attack in Tanta, but they did not want to be afraid. In the evening, they
also came for the prayers of the Holy Week," Grieche said.
David Curry, CEO and President of Open
Door USA, told our reporter on Tuesday that despite
the pain and shock, faith remains strong among the Copts.
"The Copts are an inspiring group
that has been under so much pressure for their faith and yet they are standing
strong and really showing the love of Jesus in the face of great
opposition," Curry said, adding that the people are "determined to
celebrate Holy Week, to celebrate Easter and keep the focus on Jesus."
Curry suggested that the violence
Orthodox Christians are facing is bringing them back to discover who Jesus was.
"Because ultimately the spiritual
strength that comes from Jesus is the only thing that will help you in moments
of tragedy like this.
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