Bishop Tawadoros per Los is the New Pope of the Copts

Pope Shenouda III
keystone/archiv 

In Egypt, the Coptic Christian minority has elected a new Pope.  At a Liturgy in the Markus Cathedral of Cairo, Bishop Tawadros per Los was elected as the 118th church head.

Odds on the office have favored Bishop Raphael from the capital of Cairo and Tawadros from Beheria in the Nile Delta as well as the Monk Raphael Awa Mina.

A small boy, blindfolded, drew the name out of a glass bowl with the new Pope's name on it, which was sealed in red wax. Thus the Copts considered this also as "God's Will".  There were three candidates for the election.

The 60 year old from the Nile Delta will be solemnly installed on the 18th of November.  He follows in the footsteps of Pope Shenuda III after 40 years at the head of the largest Christian community in the Middle East.

Fear of Expulsion

The Copts make up about 10 percent of the 83 million Egyptians, of which the largest part are Sunni Muslims.  This also makes the Copts the largest Christian community in the Near East.

At present they are concerned about the impending Islamization of Egypt.  There are increasingly violent conflicts between the Copts and the Muslim majority.

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