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Three Coptic Egyptian monks killed in South Africa, Coptic Orthodox Church says

CAIRO, March 12 (Reuters) - Three Coptic Egyptian monks were killed in a "criminal assault" inside a Coptic monastery in South Africa, the Christian Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt said on Tuesday.
Reuters
By Reuters
12 Mar
Egyptian caretaker of the Coptic Church, interim Pope Bakhomious holds a piece of paper with the name of Bishop Tawadros written on it in Cairo

"Three monks were subjected to a criminal assault inside our Coptic monastery," the spokesman of the Coptic Orthodox Church said in statement posted on Facebook, without providing other details.

One of the three monks killed was a representative of the Coptic Diocese of South Africa.

An internal investigation has been launched, the statement added, and the Egyptian ambassador to Johannesburg, where the monastery is based, has been informed.

(Reporting by Hatem Maher and Adam MakaryEditing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)

Comments

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Mario de Abreu 13 March 2024 06:25 AM

We have become so used to this kind of thing in South Africa that most of us won't bat an eyelid. So sad.

Barry Messenger 13 March 2024 07:23 AM

Terrible news!

Anthony Krijger 13 March 2024 09:08 AM

In any normal country this would be properly investigated by police. Sadly in South Africa there will be a case number in some police station and thats probably as far as the investigation will get. But the relevant authorities & politicians will make soothing noises and assurances so that all can be forgotten. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

Rod MacLeod 13 March 2024 09:24 AM

The Coptics are seriously hounded by muslim fundamentalists. They are frequently attacked. Informing the Egyptian ambassador to South Africa of this incident will have no consequence at all - the Coptics are the most persecuted religious minority in Egypt itself.

virginia crawford 16 March 2024 07:07 AM

I spent a decade in Egypt and lived very near a huge Coptic Church. The "hounding" of Christians is vastly exaggerated. Wherever you go in Egypt new churches are being built and in my experience mixed workplaces are the norm.

Wiilliam Cadman 13 March 2024 12:14 PM

It needs to be established if this was random SA criminality or religious fundamentalism.

virginia crawford 16 March 2024 07:02 AM

A lot of comments with no real facts: another newspaper reported that someone associated with the monastery had been arrested.