Heliopolis (Miṣr al-Jadīdah) / Cairo

The division among NGOs that received the one-million-dollar grant from the US Embassy in Cairo with the aim of monitoring presidential elections became stronger.

Throughout the history of the Orthodox Church patriarchs have been using the right to defrock priests and punish bishops and monks in order to protect the Church teachings or to stop heretics. In the very modern history of the Church, many persons have been subjected to these punishments. Several examples are given.

The investigations conducted with the members of Al-Wa’ad organization revealed that they were planning to attack the building of the Egyptian Television and to assassinate some American pilots living in Heliopolis district, some ministers and other prominent Egyptian figures.

On the occasion of the Coptic New Year’s Day, the Christian Church of Egypt gave a presentation in the auditorium of UNESCO, Paris, under the title of Le Nil Eternel (The Eternal Nile).

Max Michael is an Egyptian Orthodox Christian who founded a religious association offering religious and family care services. Despite the work he is doing, people from the church classify him as an outlaw who left the church. Michael claims he is an Orthodox and that he has all respect for Pope Shenouda. He affirms he is not a replacement for the pope as some have said he is. He added that he was expelled from the Orthodox church without a declared reason.

Catholic father Rafiq Greish, Orthodox archpriest Salib Matta, and Protestant reverend Ikram Lamai responded to Rose El-Youssef’s article "seizing an extremist Christian group" The latter two did not restrict their arguments to the Adventists, but discussed the Catholic Church and popes. The author responds to archpriest Matta’s comment on the tours of Pope John Paul II.

Counselor Naguib Gabriel Michael said that he started a lawsuit against Pope Shenouda and the Minister of Interior for manipulating the Milli Council elections. Archpriest Salib Matta Saweris, whom he accused of using his spiritual position to influence the voters will, asked why he did not object before the judge supervising the elections at the time according to the constitution.

The State Council is looking into the case filed by Naguib Gibra’il Michael versus Pope Shenouda and the Minister of Interior. The case may result in cancellation of the results of the last Milli Council elections for legal violations.

Five people from the Adventist denomination were seized for distributing religious pamphlets in poor neighborhoods. The pamphlets were issued by the newly established "Preservers of the commandments of God and faith of Jesus Christ Society." They contained ideas about the Adventists being the only providers of the true teachings of the Bible and about the Pope having great powers, enough to change God’s laws.

Babylon’s Patriarch for the Chaldean Catholics in Iraq and the world said that Baghdad will host the Fifth Christian Conference, which will be attended by religious figures from all over the world.