
Pope Tawadros inaugurates first Coptic Orthodox Church in Romania
CAIRO – 3 May 2025: Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, inaugurated the Church of St. Mina the Martyr in Bucharest—the first Coptic Orthodox Church in Romania.
The inauguration was part of his ongoing pastoral visit to Romania, within the broader framework of his tour of the Diocese of Central Europe, which commenced on April 25.
Accompanying Pope Tawadros were Bishop Giovanni of the Diocese of Central Europe and 11 other Coptic Orthodox bishops from across Europe, who participated in the inauguration prayers.
Pope Tawadros II met with Bishop Giovanni on Friday to discuss the mission and role of the Coptic Church in Europe.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Egypt Independent
05-07-2025
- Egypt Independent
Will Saudi Arabia build its 1st Coptic Christian church?
Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, commented on news of holding the first mass in Saudi Arabia and the possibility of building the first Coptic church on Saudi soil. In an interview with CNN Arabic, the Pope said, 'There is nothing on the ground yet, but I believe there will be no obstacle to that in the future.' He pointed to 'happy' developments in Saudi Arabia, noting that he met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz during his visit to Cairo and met with the Saudi Crown Prince two years later, also during his visit to Cairo. Pope Tawadros II hailed these meetings as 'very good,' praising the youthful spirit conveyed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 'We proposed that one of the bishops visit and meet with the Copts, and approval was given. They prayed in hotel halls, and the visits were pleasant, and we repeated them two or three times,' he said. 'This represents a welcome openness to Saudi society, and I believe there will be good news in the future. It's true that there isn't anything on the ground yet, but the situation will need to develop.'


Watani
28-06-2025
- Watani
Coptic Church mourns 20 Syrians martyred at Damascus church in suicide bombing
The Coptic Orthodox Church issued a statement on 22 June mourning the 20 martyrs who lost their lives earlier that day in a suicide bombing in the church of Saint Elias in Damascus,Syria. The statement read: 'The Coptic Orthodox Church, led by Pope Tawadros II, bids farewell to the martyrs of Syria as they march towards the paradise of eternal joy. These martyrs fell as a result of the treacherous suicide bombing that took place inside the church of Saint Elias in the Douilaa in Damascus, Syria on Sunday 22 June 2025. 'We condemn the heinous bombing and all similar forms of violence, intimidation, and the stripping of any human being of their natural right to live in safety. The blood of the righteous Abel continues to cry out, bearing witness to human injustice towards fellow humans when evil takes control and the scale of righteousness is upset, so as to leading to a belief that killing is a good deed that pleases God. 'We pray that the comfort of the Holy Spirit fills the heart of our brother, His Beatitude Patriarch John X Yazigi, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as the hearts of the martyrs' families. May the Lord grant a swift recovery to the wounded, and may He bestow peace and calm upon beloved Syria, our region, and the entire world.' According to Reuters, at least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at Mar-Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday 22 June. Syria's Interior Ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of IS, Islamic State. He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest. Syria's Health Ministry reported that 52 persons were also injured in the blast. Scenes from inside the church showed destruction, a bloodied floor, and shattered pews and masonry. Local Church sources say the church included between 350 and 400 worshippers that day. Islamic State has been behind several attempted attacks on churches in Syria since Assad's fall. The Syria martyrs have been mourned by Churches in Egypt and all throughout the region, also by the Councils of Egypt and Middle East Churches. They unanimously expressed pain, dubbing the bombing 'a wound in our heart', and expressed fears for Christian presence in the Middle East. The news impacted Copts in Egypt especially hard, since it brought to mind painful memories of a suicide bombing that had occurred in Cairo's Boutrossiya Church on 11 November 2016, also during Sunday Mass, in which 29 lost their lives, and 48 were wounded. But in the Cairo bombing, Egypt's Armed Forces rebuilt the damage in the church and fully renovated it, reopening it for worship by New Year 2017. Blast in Cairo church kills 27, injures 65 Watani International 23 June 2025 Comments comments


Al-Ahram Weekly
23-06-2025
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Al-Azhar, Coptic Orthodox Church condemn Damascus church suicide bombing - Foreign Affairs
Egypt's Al-Azhar, the world's largest Muslim Sunni institution, and the Coptic Orthodox Church strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital that killed at least 22 people and left 63 others wounded on Sunday. The suicide bomber opened fire on the congregation of the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus during a Sunday evening service before detonating an explosive vest, according to the Syrian Ministry of Interior. In a statement, Al-Azhar strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack that targeted the Mar Elias Church in the Al-Duwaila'a area east of Damascus, claiming the lives of dozens of innocent civilians and injuring many others at the hands of a 'brutal terrorist' devoid of all sense of humanity and compassion. The statement affirmed Al-Azhar's stance toward such barbaric crimes, which contradict entirely the objectives of divine religions and the teachings of human morality. The Islamic institution described the attack as a blatant violation of human rights to life, security, and worship, fueling the flames of discord among citizens of the same nation. Al-Azhar called on everyone to stand firmly against this dark terrorism in all its forms and exert every effort to stabilize the region, protect civilians, and save them from the grip of violence and abhorrent sectarianism. Moreover, it extended its heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to the victims' families, affirming its solidarity with the Syrian people in their immense grief and praying to God to grant patience and solace to all and hasten the recovery of the wounded. In a similar statement, the Coptic Orthodox Church, headed by Pope Tawadros II, said it mourns the martyrs who entered the paradise of bliss after falling victim to the treacherous suicide bombing. The church also condemned this heinous act and all similar forms of violence and intimidation, which deprive a human being of their natural right to a safe life. "We pray that the consolations of the Holy Spirit fill the heart of our brother, His Beatitude Patriarch John X Yazigi, Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and the hearts of all the martyrs' families,' the statement said. "May the Lord grant speedy recovery to the wounded and bless beloved Syria, our region, and the whole world with peace and reassurance," it added. Syrian authorities said the attacker appeared to have ties to the Islamic State. The attack is the first known suicide bombing in the capital since Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Bashar Al-Assad in December 2024. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: