Coptic Congress: Learning lessons from the past

(Vatican Radio) The Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies is continuing Friday in the Vatican Library here in Rome. This week has seen scholars from Egypt and around the world present papers on topics such as Coptic Monastic life, Coptic Religious and Cultural Life in Contemporary Egypt as well as lectures on linguistics and Biblical Manuscripts.

One of those speaking at the Congress is Professor Jacques Van Der Vliet, who is a lecturer at the University of Leiden in Holland and an expert in Coptic literature.

Commenting on contemporary life of Coptic Christians today Professor Van Der Vliet told Lydia O’Kane, history can be a valuable tool.

“Copts are looking back now at that time before 1952 as, well, as a kind of “Golden Age” for them because in that time they were say represented in political life and had well, took part, took fully part in the cultural and political life of Egypt in general.”

He goes on to say that a conference like this is important because it brings together experts in various disciplines who have one thing in common the study of twenty centuries of Coptic Christian history.

The Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies runs until Saturday 22^nd September. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Professor Jacques Van Der Vliet