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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expressed condolences to the Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II over the death of people as a result of an explosion near a Coptic cathedral in Cairo. On Sunday, December 11, a huge blast hit the Abbassia district in Cairo, where several Christian churches are located. According to the latest reports, 23 people died, and 49 were injured. The text of the message is given below.

His Holiness Tawadros II

Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch

Of the Holy See of St Mark

In All Africa and the Middle East

Your Holiness,

The Russian Orthodox Church is grieving together with the Coptic Church and with all the people of Egypt, for as a result of an explosion at your cathedral in Cairo last Sunday, people who gathered there for prayer died. Allow me to express my profound condolences and heartfelt support to your whole Church suffering from the religious intolerance and terrorism.

We believe that this dreadful crime will not achieve its ends, and the criminals will fail to sow fear and panic and undermine the foundations of the state structure of Egypt, whose people, despite the ordeals that have befallen them, remain committed to building up peace and civil accord in the country.

May Our Heavenly Father heal the wounds of the injured and bring consolation to those who sorrow, granting to the Christians “a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim 2:2).

With love in the Lord,

+KIRILL

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA