- EGYPT
- June 27, 2012
- 4 minutes read
After Meeting With Church Leaders, Morsi: National Unity Key Objective in Presidential Program
Dr. Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s new President-elect, received at the presidential palace in Heliopolis, Wednesday, a group of church leaders from various Christian denominations. Church leaders congratulated Dr. Morsi on his election as President of the Republic.
Rev. Safwat Bayadi, President of the Evangelical Church and President of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, expressed sincere thanks to Dr. Morsi for his first speech after winning the presidential elections, praising the spontaneous address that reached into the hearts of Egyptians, and stressing that this speech, especially the fact that it mentioned the coming state as a constitutional democracy, was a message of and call for tranquility for all Egyptians, and also signals a new phase of improved communication between Muslims and Christians.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yasser Ali, acting spokesman for the president-elect, said that during the meeting with the delegation, Dr. Morsi expressed his delight in welcoming Christian brothers. Dr. Ali further pointed that Father Joseph Hannouche, Bishop of the Syriac Catholic community, said: "We will pray together for success of the new president", calling for focus on the national unity issue.
Dr. Ali also stressed the importance of the initiative of Sheikh Al-Azhar, Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb, about the family home and the importance of supporting it.
Dr. Ali said that, during the meeting with the delegation, the president affirmed that national unity is a major goal and priority in his program, and that when he raised the slogan ‘Our strength, in our unity’ during his presidential campaign, he was fully mindful of the meaning of this slogan, that the Egyptian People must be one fabric again, and that all past incidents, under the defunct regime, were meant to cause division and strife between Egyptian Muslims and Christians.
Dr. Ali explained that the President assured that there is no returning to such divisive incidents again, and that "we will remain an integral whole, with our strength in our unity, indeed".
The Christian delegation meeting Dr. Morsi included: Father Andrew George, Syriac Orthodox community leader; Patriarch Theodoros II, Roman Orthodox leader; Bishop Ashod Caron, Armenian Orthodox leader; Bishop Joseph Hannouche, Syriac Catholics leader; Bishop George Baker, Roman Catholic leader; Bishop Adel Zaki, Latin Catholics leader; Bishop John Kolta, Coptic Catholics leader; Bishop Kriakour Kusa, Armenian Catholics leader; Bishop Joseph Haj, Maronite Catholics leader; Rev. Safwat Bayadi, Anglican Communion leader; Rev. Mounir Hanna, Episcopal Church leader; and British Rev. Loalin Edwards, representing the Seventh-day Adventists.
Earlier, on Tuesday, June 26, Dr. Morsi met with a delegation from the Orthodox Church headed by acting Pope, Bishop Pachomius, and assured that Muslims and Christians are all citizens who have equal shares in their homeland, while Bishop Pachomius affirmed that they were all happy to see Dr. Morsi in the post of President of the Republic.