Egypt Coptic Christians enthrone new Pope

Pope Tawadros II was enthroned as the new leader of Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority Sunday in a ceremony at Cairo’s St Mark’s Cathedral attended by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.Dozens of Coptic clerics in flowing robes took part in the ceremony, the first in four decades, as the Muslim premier watched on.Tawadros received the crown and crucifix from Bishop Pachomius, who had served as the church’s interim leader, before ascending the huge throne of St Mark embossed with its two wooden lions.Arabic, English and Greek mingled with the ancient Coptic language of the church’s liturgy in the psalms and prayers of the service and the tributes of well-wishers.Tawadros, 60, was chosen on November 4 to succeed Pope Shenuda III, who died in March after four decades on the patriarchal throne.He becomes spiritual head of the largest Christian minority in the Middle East and 118th pope in a line dating back to the origins of Christianity and to Saint Mark, the apostle and author of one of the four Gospels, who brought the new faith to Egypt.Shenuda, a careful, pragmatic leader, died at a critical time for the increasingly beleaguered minority, which has faced a surge in sectarian attacks after an uprising overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.The pope leads the country’s Coptic Orthodox community. Christians make up between six and 10 per cent of Egypt’s 83-million population.Amid increased fears about the community’s future after the overthrow of Mubarak, Tawadros will be its main contact with Islamist President Mohamed Morsy.