Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced a three-month state of emergency following twin church bombings by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that killed at least 44 people on Palm Sunday, April 9, the deadliest attacks on the minority in recent memory.

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.

UPD:

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.

Archbishop Ieronymos pledged his allegiance to the Christians in the Middle East and North Africa, who, he said, are "being persecuted by fundamentalists."

He made his comments in his address to Pope Tawadros II, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, who is paying a six-day official visit to Greece which began on Thursday.

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.