Christians beginning to flee Egypt

Fearful for their safety, some Coptic Christians have begun to flee Egypt, according to John Pontifex, spokesman for Aid to the Church in Need.

Offering an overview of recent violence against Christians in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba, Pontifex told Vatican Radio that “there is this great fear and great uncertainty that many people feel about the future for Christianity in an area where all the time there are reports coming through of Christians saying, ‘We want to leave, we do not feel safe here.’”

Only 0.3% of Egypt's 79.1 million people are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics; in all, an estimated 9% of Egyptians are Christian, most of them Coptic Orthodox.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Minority Christians fear future of Egypt (Vatican Radio)
• Catholic church attacked in Cairo (CWN, 5/10)
• 3 churches attacked in Egypt; 12 dead, over 200 injured (CWN, 5/9)
• Coptic Orthodox Church (CNEWA)
• Coptic Catholic Church (CNEWA)

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