Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Hundreds of Copts have demonstrated in front of the premises of the Saint Mark Cathedral in the Cairo district of al-


The protesters chanted slogans calling for the return of Bishop Mattias the bishop of al-Mahalla from the United States. The state security forces persuaded the Cathedral administration to let the protesters in [The church at first prevented them from entering the Cathedral] after they caused traffic jams.



Anbā Mattias had left for the United States after he offered a resignation on April 22 2005 to Pope Shenouda who did not accept it.



The resignation was offered just two days after a visit by al-Qummus Butrus Butrus the deputy metropolitan of Kafr al-Shaykh to al-Mahalla to collect signatures from the priests to have Anbā Mattias defrocked and brought to a church tribunal for encroachments over matters related to the faith and education inside the church.



After demonstrators failed to meet with the Pope 25 of them met with two senior prelates in the Cathedral where they rejected the interference of Metropolitan Bīshouy the Bishop of Damietta and Kafr al-Shaykh [http://www.damiettadiocese.com/AboutUS.htm ] who is most revered by the priests of al-Mahalla.