His Holiness Pope Shenouda III received two warm letters from the His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, the Chairman of the Department of External Relations within the Russian Orthodox Church expressing the solidarity of the latter with Copts worldwide after the heinous New Year’s Eve terrorist attack at the Saints’ Church in Alexandria that left at least 28 dead and more than 90 wounded.In his letter, Patriarch Kirill noted how “[t]he faithful of the – …

My Beloved, the Blessed Children of the Holy Church, I start my message with the same words that St. Gregory the Theologian started his sermon for the Feast of the Nativity in 380 A.D., “Christ is born, glorify Him. Christ from heaven, go out to meet Him. Christ on earth, exalt Him.” Our celebration this year comes amidst hardships.  The groaning of the injured and those imprisoned, along with the tears of their families and – …

His Grace Bishop Serapion received a warm letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange, the Most Reverend Tod D. Brown, expressing solidarity with Coptic Christians worldwide over the inhuman terrorist attack on the Saints’ Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Egypt on January 1, 2011.His Grace Bishop Brown communicated to the Coptic community the “spiritual closeness and deep prayer for an end to these attacks upon all Christians in the Middle East.” In addition, His Grace – …

In the latest in a series of acts of solidarity with the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) has issued a statement condemning the New Year’s day terrorist attack on the Saints’ Church in Alexandria, Egypt, which left at least 25 dead and scores injured, many severely.According to the statement, “This was one of the most heinous terrorist attacks on a – …

My beloved children in the lands of immigration, both clergy and laity. Peace to you and grace. My congratulations for the Feast of Nativity of our Lord, to Whom is Glory. Be all well, shepherded by God who keeps you. May we hear all good about you. May you have contemplations in the Glorious Nativity and its happenings. As for us, I want you not to worry about us – we are well…… The painful – …

We behold now a great and wondrous mystery. Shepherds with cries of joy come forth as messengers to the sons of mankind, not on their hilly pastures with their flocks conversing and not in the field with their sheep frolicking, but rather in the city of David Bethlehem spiritual songs exclaiming. In the highest sing Angels, proclaiming hymns Archangelic; the heavenly Cherubim and Seraphim sing out praises to the glory of God: “Holy, Holy, Holy…” – …

His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Iwas Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Syriac Orthodox and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church denounced on Sunday the terrorist attack that targeted a church in Alexandria, resulting in dozens of casualties and injuries.In a cable to Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist, of Alexandria, Patriarch Zakka I – …

Today, the National Council of Churches (NCC) issued a powerful condemnation of the recent terrorist attack that murdered at least 26 Coptic Orthodox worshippers and injured scores more outside The Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt.Dr. Michael Kinnamon, the General Secretary of the NCC, said, “The perpetrators of this outrage are apparently so blinded by hatred that they have lost touch with the tenets of any known faith… It is simply agonizing to think that many around – …

Our beloved children of the ChurchBlessings and peace with you all, Wishing you all a blessed and happy new year.As we are continuing to witness the repercussions of the terrorist attack on the Saints Church of Alexandria, that claimed the life of tens of martyrs and left tens more wounded; with an overwhelming feeling of sadness, confidence, and peace. We are saddened that evil has dominated the souls of those who carried out this horrid attack – …

The Roman pontiff Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to remain strong in the face of intolerance and violence in the hours following the senseless and brutal attack on innocent Christians leaving The Saints Coptic Orthodox Church after a Divine Liturgy for the New Year. The pope condemned a widening campaign against Christians in the Middle East in his New Year’s homily delivered at St. Peter’s Basilica. “In the face of the threatening tensions of the – …

The World Council of Churches issued a condemnation of the inhuman attack on innocent worshippers in The Saints Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Egypt in which a bomb was detonated at the conclusion of the New Year’s Divine Liturgy at midnight, killing at least 21 people and injuring at least 80. From the press release: The WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, on behalf of the fellowship of WCC member churches and the – …

With great sadness, news of the most recent sectarian violence against Coptic Christians reached the Diocese of Los Angeles this evening.At least seven people when a car bomb exploded outside St. Mark and St. Peter the Seal of Martyrs Coptic Church in Sidi Beshr, Alexandria. The explosion of the car bomb coincided with the faithful leaving church after services for the New Year. The Egyptian Interior Ministry currently estimates seven dead and twenty-four injured, but there – …