Christianity in Egypt

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for bombing two Egyptian churches as worshippers gathered to mark Palm Sunday, killing at least 38 people in the deadliest attacks on the Coptic Christian minority in recent memory.

At least 36 people were killed and more than 100 injured in bomb attacks on two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday, in the latest assault on a religious minority increasingly targeted by Islamist militants.

A least twenty-five people have died and dozens have been wounded by a bombing in Egypt's capital Cairo, world media report.

Victims' bodies have been found inside St Peter's church, which is close to the St Mark Coptic Cathedral, according to the BBC.

The cathedral is the seat of the Coptic church head, Pope Tawadros II.

A bomb blast has killed at least 25 people during Sunday mass inside a Cairo church near the main Coptic Christian cathedral, according to Egyptian state TV .
The explosion ripped through St Peter’s Church at around 10:00am local time, wounding at least another 35 people, according to Egyptian security officials.

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Africa, Patriarch Theodore II, has expressed concern about the rising threat of terrorism in the region after Islamic State militants murdered more than 20 Ethiopian Christians.

Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel believes the killing by militants of the Islamic State group of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya represents a sad proof of the use of religion as a pretext to justify terrorist acts.

Photo credit: (c) Cristian NISTOR / AGERPRES PHOTO

Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas

Many Orthodox Christians throughout the world on Wednesday celebrated Christmas with liturgies and prayers.

The Christmas service in Moscow' Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was led by Russian Patriarch Kirill, and attended by worshipers, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev among them.

A new law allowing the Catholic, Anglican and other churches in Greece to administer their affairs without state involvement was passed through Parliament on Thursday.

Education and Religious Affairs Minister Andreas Loverdos described the legislation, which gives the churches similar statuses to state bodies that operate under private law (NPID), as a “big deal.”