The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Egypt has reacted to comments made on Egyptian national television by Coptic Pope Shenouda III Jan. 7.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Egypt has reacted to comments made on Egyptian national television by Coptic Pope Shenouda III Jan. 7 (see Jan. 14 ANN Bulletin). In a letter to the pope, the church expressed dismay that he would insult another Christian group and in such a public manner.
“I felt hurt, together with the thousands of Adventist Christians in Egypt, when Your Holiness mentioned the Adventist Church members in a negative way,” wrote Farouk Rizk, communication and ministerial director for the church in Egypt.
“The Adventist members of our church are very much appreciated by the citizens and the government of our country. We were shocked to hear on Christmas Eve—the day that reminds us of the birth of our Savior, who brought His love to this earth—some words about us that do not have love, but the opposite.”
The church also said, “We feel that Your Highness mistreated a precious chance that this country has granted to Your Highness. You expressed your love for all the Muslims but not for all the Christians.”
In his televised comments Pope Schenouda said that Christians and Muslims are united in Egypt, but that Seventh-day Adventists, along with others, are disturbing the unity in the country.
The official letter was accepted by the pope; however, Peter Zarka, president of the church in Egypt, reported that most of the priests were afraid to take it when they heard it was a letter from the Adventist Church. An assistant of the secretary to Pope Shenouda eventually took the letter to the pope and told Farouk to check back later for comments, Zarka said.