Will Saudi Arabia finally allow a church on its soil?
For centuries, practicing Christianity has been forbidden in the Saudi kingdom. Leaving Islam is punishable by death. So, are reports true that things are changing?
The headline was startling: “Pope Tawadros and Saudi ambassador agree to open Saudi Arabia’s first church.”
The report would be historic since by law, no church buildings are allowed in Saudi Arabia, where Islam is the only religion permitted. Tawadros is the leader of Egypt’s 1.5 million Coptic Christians.
“A reliable source has told Mideast Christian News that Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark’s Episcopate, has reached an agreement with the Saudi ambassador in Cairo, Ahmed Kattan, to establish the first church ever built inside Saudi Arabia,” wrote Irin Moussa of Mideast Christian News.
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http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/news/f... The Coptic pope meets with the Saudi ambassador (MCN Photo)
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“The source said that Pope Tawadros was extremely happy upon his return to the Cathedral in Al-Abbasiya, where he met with a German parliamentary delegation after the end of his first visit to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia,” wrote Moussa.
“MCN was told that the Pope thanked the King of Saudi Arabia and the current government for their approval to build the first church, which will be Coptic, and for the warm welcome from the Saudi ambassador in Cairo. The source added that at the meeting, the two leaders also discussed consolidating relations between the Church and Saudi Arabia, especially after the king of Saudi Arabia pledged to send aid to Egypt after the revolution of June 30. His Holiness also expressed his condolences for the victims of the recent fire in a Medina hotel.
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“There are many Egyptian Copts in Saudi Arabia, and there are also more than a million Christians from Southeast Asia, particularly from the Philippines.”
Indeed, the Catholic community in Saudi Arabia is overseen by the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia and has its own bishop, Camillo Ballin. However, he is not allowed to set foot in Saudi Arabia – instead has his offices at the Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait.
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http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/news/f... Continued on next page...
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Posted By: Jeni Fa
Tuesday, April 5th 2016 at 6:08PM
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