WCC expresses concern at escalating violence in Egypt

World Council of Churches public message on sectarian clashes in Egypt

In a statement released on 9 April, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has condemned the attacks against St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo and killings of Christians in the village of Al-Khosous in Egypt.

Expressing concern at the situation faced by the Egyptian Coptic Church, a member church of the WCC, Tveit said, “The sectarian conflicts and increasing tensions are a threat to the national security of the country and, above all, to Christian-Muslim coexistence in Egypt.”

He urged the “religious leaders and authorities in the country to promote a language of fellowship and harmony, to foster initiatives that ease the tensions and revive a spirit of respect and mutual understanding within the Egyptian population.”

Readfull text of the WCC general secretary’s statement

For more on the situation, click here to read “Egypt’s Coptic pope blasts Islamist president over handling of recent sectarian violence,” in the Washington Post.