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Coptic Christians to be remembered in special service

07 January 2011 00:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Coptic Christians who lost their lives in 2010 are to be remembered in services across Europe on Sunday 9 January, APA reports quoting BBC.
The main UK service will be conducted in the Cathedral of Saint George at the Coptic Orthodox Centre in Stevenage.
Organisers say it will be a peaceful and spiritual remembrance of the recent acts of violence against worshippers in Egypt.
The New Year’s Day church bombing in Alexandria killed 22 people.
In an official statement, Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church said of the attack at the Church of Saints Mark and Peter in Alexandria:
"We are deeply saddened and disturbed that once again, days of joy and celebration have been turned into a time of mourning and weeping. Our immediate thoughts and prayers are with all those who were affected by the bombing at the Church of Saints Mark and Peter in Alexandria: those who have lost their lives, their families, those who were injured, members of that parish, Christian communities in general, and Christians throughout the land of Egypt.
"This was a time when Christians went as families to pray in the safety of the house of God. Men, women, children and the elderly gathered together in prayer for a happy and peaceful new year. Instead, they became the innocent victims of a most horrific, callus and cowardly act of terror and violence.
"We pray for the peace of all, Christians and Muslims alike, and that every Egyptian may enjoy freedom and security to live and practise Faith without fear of violence or terror; protected by the various arms of the nation state they call home."
The service will take place at the Coptic Orthodox Centre in Stevenage on Sunday 9 January at 12:00 GMT