For many of us the Christmas celebrations have long-ended, but for many Christians around the world, Christmas just took place. The Coptic church celebrates Christmas on 7 January.
This Coptic Christmas was celebrated with heightened fear and increased security following an incident that took place two days prior. On January 5, an Egyptian police officer was killed while defusing a bomb that was placed near a Coptic church in Egypt. Two other policemen and a bystander also were injured.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Despite all this, the Coptic church celebrated this year with the official opening of the Cathedral of the Nativity. The new church, near Cairo, can hold more than 8,000 worshippers and is the largest cathedral in the Middle East. It was inaugurated by the president of Egypt, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Egypt ranks 17 on the 2018 World Watch List. New rankings for the 2019 World Watch List will be released on 16 January 2pm AEDT. Check back soon to see the 50 most dangerous countries to follow Jesus in 2019.
Please Pray:
- Pray for the family of the killed policemen, that they are comforted in this time of grief.
- Pray for the church in Egypt, that they remain bold and share the gospel.
- Praise God that many believers celebrated Jesus’ birth despite the risk.
Stay updated with news from the persecuted church.
Source: The National Review