Christian leaders in Jerusalem pray for end of violence in Egypt
August 23, 2013 - Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran leaders in Jerusalem
prayed for an end to violence and bloodshed in Egypt and the protection of the values
of "democracy, dignity and religious freedom." Thirteen patriarchs and heads of churches
in Jerusalem issued a statement on Wednesday expressing their concern for "the dreadful
situation" and the desecration of Christian churches in Egypt. The country, they said,
was suffering from "internal divisions, deliberate violence and terroristic acts against
innocent people, both Muslims and Christians." After Egyptian police and the military
broke up camps of demonstrators protesting the ouster in July of President Mohammed
Morsi, more demonstrations and violent attacks on Christian churches, schools and
places of business began. "The desecration and burning of churches is an unprecedented
scandal and goes against the values of tolerance, lived in Egypt for centuries," the
Christian leaders of Jerusalem said. The leaders thanked Egyptian Muslims who "stood
by the side of Christians in defending churches and institutions" and they condemned
all "acts of vandalism carried out by some extremists." They called upon "all parties
to stop violence and killing and to work toward national unity, without which Egypt
will risk a civil war." The church leaders asked the international community "to stand
against violence and terrorism, to help the people of Egypt to overcome this cycle
of violence and bloodshed, and to help to get the country back on track," and they
prayed that God would "enlighten the Egyptian leaders to save the values of democracy,
dignity and religious freedom." (Source: CNS)