Posted on 04/10/2013 7:11:05 AM PDT by marshmallow
CAIRO (AP) — The leader of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church on Tuesday blasted the country's Islamist president over his handling of recent deadly sectarian violence, including an attack on the main cathedral in Cairo.
The remarks by Pope Tawadros II underscore rising Muslim-Christian tensions in Egypt. They were his first direct criticism of President Mohammed Morsi since he was enthroned in November as the spiritual leader of Egypt's Orthodox Christians. They are also likely to fuel political turmoil that has been roiling the country since the ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak two years ago.
Egypt is already divided between two camps, with Morsi and Islamist allies in one and moderate Muslims, Christians and liberals in the other. The political schism is essentially over Egypt's political future after decades of dictatorship, a divide that has been compounded by a worsening economy and tenuous security.
An open conflict between Morsi's government and the church could add a new and potentially explosive layer, pushing Egypt to the brink of civil strife.
Tawadros also warned that the state was "collapsing" and described Sunday's attack on the St. Mark Cathedral in central Cairo, which serves as the Coptic papal seat, as "breaching all the red lines."
He said Morsi had promised him in a telephone conversation to do everything to protect the cathedral, "but in reality he did not."
Asked to explain, Tawadros, who spoke in a telephone interview to a political talk show aired on the private ONTV network, said it "comes under the category of negligence and poor assessment of events." It was not clear whether he was accusing Morsi himself or whether he was addressing the president's government.
Presidential spokesman Ehab Fahmy said Morsi was in "constant contact" with the church over Sunday's violence and had dispatched three top aides to offer........
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Is he still alive?
Ours or theirs?
It isn't actually an Orthodox Church because they disagree with both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches on the Christology of Chalcedon.
But the Islamofascists aren't going to ask your views on the Council of Chalcedon, or the Filioque, or Sola Scriptura. They're just going to behead you.
Indeed.
I wanted to point out that this is a different church.
There are about 200,000 Egyptian Catholics and about 250,000 Egyptian Orthodox, but there are by some accounts almost 10 million non-Chalcedonian Coptics in Egypt.
The Coptic Pope is the head of a very large flock, as opposed to the Catholic and Orthodox bishops.
All Christians must set aside their differences and become united to face the threat of radial Islamic Movement funded by Oil dollars and hate. The Islamic radicals also get support from the Liberal Progressive who mistakenly think its a democratic movement. Saddam Hiesein was more democratic.
There are 40 times as many of the former in Egypt as the latter.
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