His Grace Anba Ermia, General Bishop and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center, highlighted that Saint Mary, the Virgin, holds a profound place in the hearts of people worldwide, both Christians and Muslims. Catholics observe a fast in honor of the Virgin Mary during the first two weeks of August, while the Coptic Orthodox fast from August 7 to 22. Some Muslims also participate in this fast. This reflects the truth of the Virgin Mary’s words in the Gospel of Luke: “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.”
He made this statement during his speech at the Holy Family Journey exhibition, hosted by the Rimini Meeting in Italy in collaboration with the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center, from August 20 to 24.
In his speech, Anba Ermia recounted the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ, starting with the angel Gabriel’s announcement to the Virgin Mary, her obedience and submission to God’s will, the birth of Jesus, and the angel’s appearance to Saint Joseph, instructing him to take the child and his mother to Egypt to escape King Herod’s threat. This prophecy was fulfilled as stated in the Gospel of Matthew: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Prophecies from the book of Isaiah were also fulfilled: “The oracle concerning Egypt: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt within it.” Also, “In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border.”
Anba Ermia continued that the cloud symbolizes the Virgin Mary, and wherever the Holy Family traveled, the idols fell. An altar was established in Egypt at the Monastery of the Virgin Mary (Al-Muharraq) in Qusiyah, Assiut. The pillar mentioned at the border of Egypt is the lighthouse of the Church of Alexandria, founded by Saint Mark in the first century AD.
Regarding Egypt’s religious significance, Anba Ermia noted that it is the only country in the world that has embraced prophets. Abraham, Jacob and his sons, Joseph the righteous, and Moses the prophet all had connections with Egypt. The Israelites lived there for about 400 years. Solomon the Wise married Pharaoh’s daughter, and the prophet Jeremiah was martyred there, with his tomb located in El-Mahalla El-Kubra. The Holy Family visited this region, spent a few days in Samanoud, blessed Maryut and Wadi El-Natrun, and took a boat from Maadi. The Bible was found floating on the Nile in 1976.
In his speech, attended by a large audience at the Rimini Meeting, Anba Ermia emphasized that the Virgin Mary received heavenly blessings and earned the title “the Second Heaven” due to her purity, innocence, and complete trust in God. She is revered in Christianity and honored in Islam as mentioned in the Quran: “So We sent to her Our Spirit, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was of the devoutly obedient.”
Anba Ermia concluded by highlighting the deep Islamic-Christian relations in Egypt, citing strong ties with Al-Azhar, Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, and the Egyptian Family House, where he serves as Assistant Secretary General. He also mentioned the Human Fraternity Document signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
The Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center produced a film about the Holy Family’s journey, which took three years to complete and was produced by MAB Production. It has been translated into several languages, including Italian, and excerpts were shown at the Holy Family Journey exhibition at the Rimini International Meeting. The exhibition attracted thousands of visitors, many of whom expressed a desire to visit the Holy Family’s route in Egypt. Bishop Ermia also welcomed several prominent public, cultural, and religious figures who visited the exhibition. He presided over the Feast of the Virgin Mary in Rimini, participated by Father Dawood Al-Naklouni, and attended by members of the Coptic Church in Rimini and Bologna, which fall under the Diocese of Rome led by Bishop Barnabas.
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