Egypt's new government allows Christians to build new churches, ending years of opposition

January 29, 2015

Egyptian Christians have seen notable gains under the government of President Abd al-Sisi, the spokesman for the country’s bishops tells the AsiaNews service.

Father Rafic Greiche pointed to three new building permits for Catholic churches. He reported that permits for Christian churches were never granted during the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak, nor under the government that followed him, which was dominated by Islamic fundamentalists.

Some applications for permits to build churches date back more than a decade, Father Greiche said. The new government has finally begun approving these applications.

The new Egyptian parliament will be working on legislation to renew the process of approving new houses of worship. The government has invited Christian leaders to help draft the rules.

 

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Further information:

• For Catholic Church spokesman, al-Sisi's Egypt is more liberal on new churches and freedom of expression (AsiaNews)