11 January 2010 | 10-0022 |

Stephen Brown

Bishop Munib Younan. Stock photo (c) Stephen Brown/ENI

Geneva (ENI). Jerusalem Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan has denounced the killing of six Coptic Christians in Egypt and he offered support to the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.

"The attack is horrifying and puts fear in the hearts of Christians in Egypt," Younan said in an 11 January statement to Ecumenical News International from Beirut, where he is attending the general assembly of the Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches.

The six Coptic Christians and a Muslim security officer were killed at a church in Nag Hamadi on 6 January, the eve of their Christmas celebration. At least nine other people were injured, the Associated Press news agency reported.

"We are horrified and denounce this violent act, that instead of our people, our Christian Copts, celebrating Christmas and the feast of incarnation, they had to celebrate the feast of the cross," said Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. He said he had offered prayers for Pope Shenouda III, the Coptic patriarch.

In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the "deplorable attack which the Egyptian Coptic community suffered in recent days, during its celebration of Christmas".

Coptic Christians account for about nine percent, and Muslims 90 percent, of Egypt's 83 million people.

Bishop Younan said he encouraged Egyptian Christians to "remain steadfast with their witness to the Gospel, for the Church always carries its cross even in times of joy". He declared his confidence that the Egyptian government will find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Three suspects arrested after the killings have denied they were behind the attack, Egyptian officials have said.

"We pray for the victims and their families," Younan stated. "But we also pray that such acts will not be repeated, neither in Egypt nor anywhere else."

Authorities said they suspected the attack was in revenge for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old Muslim girl by a Christian man in the town in November.

After the killings, sectarian riots in nearby villages were reported to have injured at least six people. The area is 64 kilometres (40 miles) north of Luxor, an archaeological and tourist centre.

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