On Monday morning, 25 December 2017, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, headed a church delegation to greet the Copts Catholic for Christmas according to the Western calendar, which is today.
The Pope and the accompanying delegation went to the Patriarchate of the Coptic Catholics residence at Kobry el Kobba where they were received by His Beatitude Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac and a number of Catholic bishops, priests and notables.
The delegation accompanying His Holiness the Pope included Their Eminences Bishop Marcos, Bishop of Shubra El Kheima, Bishop Daniel, Bishop of Maadi, Bishop Ermia, General Bishop, Fr. Sergius Sergius, Under-Secretary General of the Patriarchate in Cairo, Fr. Angelos Isaac and Fr. Amonius Adel, Secretary of the Pope, Fr. Boulos Halim, Spokesman of the Church and Professor Gerges Saleh Honorary Secretary of the Middle East Churches Council.
– Speech of His Beatitude Ibrahim Isaac Patriarch of the Coptic Catholics during his reception of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and his accompanying delegation … Our Lord may give you health to continue your pastoral message to all Christians and all Egyptians.
On behalf of the Catholic Church in Egypt, we welcome Pope Tawadros and congratulate ourselves for his safe and full recovery and welcome all the delegation accompanying His Holiness.
Before we are denominations we are brothers in Christ and friends and it is a great honor for us to receive your holiness with the fathers accompanying your Holiness.
We are witnessing the beginning of the nativity joy as your Holiness said to us and may our Lord takes hold of your right hand to continue your pastoral message to all Christians and all Egyptians.
– Speech of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II during his visit to the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate to greet them for Christmas …
A beautiful tradition that we visit each other for the feasts ….. and today we meet with the Patriarch and the Fathers, as exchange of love and stressing on it. Jesus came to the world for the whole world and the salvation of every human being, and the coming of Christ brings joy, salvation and love.
On the birth of the Christ in the village of Bethlehem, where the Virgin Mary and Joseph the carpenter came to look for a place to stay, they found refusal to accept them or to find a place for him, while Christ came to every man, including those in Bethlehem. For Christ, he was born in an available simple and despicable manger a place where baby Christ received the simple and wise Magi and met many souls including Simeon the Righteous, Hanah the prophetess, Elizabeth and Joseph the carpenter. The Virgin Mary, Hannah the widow, Elizabeth the married, Simon the Righteous and Joseph the carpenter all met. Christ was a convergent center, while he was refused he accepted everyone.
Christmas message is to have in your heart a place for each one, O man, He has created you in the midst of humans so that your heart be a refuge for all human beings.
The big heart can accommodate all, Christ .. your friends .. your neighbors .. your coworkers.
This year practice: Make your heart accommodate everyone
Ask yourself does your heart accommodate everyone? Do you have love for everyone?
The virtue of the Big heart is to love all people and have a place for every one in your heart.
We celebrate Christmas from beginning of the 25 December Western Christmas and until the New Year and 7 January Eastern Christmas.
On behalf of all the attendees of the Coptic Church, we greet everyone.
And that love be always existing, constant and rooted.
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