Newsflash: Cardinal Schönborn Demonstrated Against Religious Persecution in Egypt

Austrian Roman Catholic Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn (R) walks next to Coptic Bishop Anba Gabriel during a demonstration in Vienna, October 21, 2011. Some 500 supporters of Christian churches protested against violence on Christians in Egypt. (Source: Reuters)

The demonstration was held in the centre of Vienna on Friday afternoon, October 21 2011 . It was led by the Cardinal of the Austrian Catholic Church Dr. Christoph Schönborn and the Coptic Bishop in Austria, Anba Gabriel. The march began from before the Opera, followed the Ring Street through Ballhausplatz before of the Hofburg, the residency of Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Mr. Faymann, and stopped in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where a final prayer of mourning took place outside and inside the Cathedral.

The demonstrators carried a model of a coffin covered with black, and raised wooden crosses flowers and a several signs representing their demands. They chanted for the freedom of worship and demanded that the Egyptian authorities stop the violence, persecution, and massacres against the Coptic minority in Egypt. They chanted asking if the life of Christians is worth nothing, claimed that the Copts in Egypt were guilty ONLY because they are Christians, and that because of this, extremist Muslims were causing them troubles without end. They raised signs which demand an end to the kidnapping of Coptic girls who are forcibly converted to Islam and married with Muslims.

A prayer was held at St. Stephen’s square and another one inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, in which Cardinal Schönborn invited Bishop Anba and all religious group representatives to join in the prayers for the Christian victims who were killed by unjust violence in Egypt. After the first prayed ended, Cardinal Schönborn and Bishop Anba prayed inside Stephen’s Cathedral and lightened candles for in the memory of and blessing the Christian martyrs. The Coptic Bishop in Austria, Anba Gabriel, stated during a press conference held on last October 17 2011 at the Church of the Virgin Mary, that over 100.000 Copts are known to have emigrated from Egypt because of the religious oppression.

It should be noted here that on October 11 2011 the Egyptian authorities executed Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, also known as Al-Kmoni, at the Arab tower jail West of Alexandria. Al-Kmoni was accused of carrying out the terrorist murders of Nag Hammadi against Coptic Christians on past January 6 2010 during the celebration of Christmas.

(adapted from a report on Kawther.info)

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