Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt asks priests not to influence the Presidential Election

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt has instructed its priests not to directly support candidates for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for 25th and 26th this month. The Spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Fr. Royce Morcos, said on Thursday that the church would limit its role to the awareness campaign which encourages the faithful to participate in the political life of the country and not to boycott the polls. Fr. Morcos added that the priests have been advised not to give voting instructions to the faithful and not to receive any presidential candidate in the individual Churches and parishes. Early this month the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, invited the faithful to vote maturely and advised them to read first the electoral programs of the candidates before they chose who to vote for.  Two candidates are standing for the position of President, former army General Adbel Fattah el-Sisi who is standing as an Independent and Hamdeen Sabahi, a candidate of the Popular Current Party. The Churches in Egypt have been accused by connivi the outlawed Moslem Brotherhood of conniving with the military to depose President Mohammed Morsi who is now in jail.