Coptic Catholic leader expresses high hopes for new Egyptian President

(June 27, 2012) In an open letter to the recently elected president of Egypt, the administrator of the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria expressed confidence in the Islamic leader’s willingness to work with all sections of society for the common good. Bishop Kyrillos William, who is standing in for Cardinal Patriarch Antonios Naguib, incapacitated by a stroke last year, describes in his letter to President Mohammed Mursi his hopes of the country’s renaissance with the guarantee of security, peace and social justice. Writing on behalf of the Coptic Catholic Church, which numbers 250,000 in Egypt, Bishop William tells Mursi- “We are confident that, with the help of the Almighty, and with your wisdom, you will be able to work for the best interests of the nation and its people.” Concluding with a message directed at the Egyptian people, he calls on all sections of society to reconcile and pull together to build a new country.