CWN - A Latin-rite Catholic bishop in Egypt has criticized the Muslim Brotherhood following an October 20 attack on a Coptic Orthodox church in a Cairo suburb. The death toll in the attack has risen to four.

Bishop Adel Zaky, a Franciscan who serves as the vicar apostolic of Alexandria, said that the condolences expressed by the Muslim Brotherhood are “a tactic already used by them on other occasions: they express their solidarity to the victims, and then what emerges is that the architects of the terrorist attacks are people related to them.”

“Their goal is to cause chaos and then lay responsibility to the weakness of the government and the army that do not guarantee safety,” he continued. “The truth is manipulated to divide, and in this I see the work of the devil. They want to divide Christians and Muslims who together brought the downfall of Morsi’s Islamic regime.”

President Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, was removed from office by the Egyptian military in July following large protests – leading to widespread anti-Christian violence by Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

“The bombings and attacks against Christians have now come to the capital,” Bishop Zaky added. “May the Lord save us.”

In its brief coverage of the incident, L’Osservatore Romano emphasized that the prime minister of Egypt, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, and the Grand Mufti of Egypt all condemned the attack.


Joachim and Anna Rejoice

Today the bonds of childlessness are loosed, * for God has heard Joachim and Anna * and He promises manifestly that they, against all hope, would give birth to the Maiden of God * from whom the Uncircumscribed One Himself would be born, becoming man, * and he commanded the Angels to cry out to her: * “Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!” (Troparion - Tone 4)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Today the whole world celebrates * the conception of Anne which was brought about by God, * for she gave birth to the one who, beyond understanding, * gave birth to the Word. (Kontakion - Tone 4)

Saint Nicholas of Myra

The truth of your deeds has revealed you to your flock, * as a rule of faith, an image of meekness, and a teacher of abstinence. * Therefore, you attained the heights through humility, * and riches through poverty. * O Father and Hierarch Nicholas, * pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved. (Troparion, Tone 4)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

In Myra, You were shown to be a servant of the sacred things, O Holy Nicholas, * for, fulfilling the Gospel of Christ, you, O Venerable, laid down your life for your people, * and saved the innocent from death. * Therefore, you were sanctified as a great initiate of the grace of God. (Kontakion, Tone 3)