+ We pray for the souls of the innocent martyrs who were killed by terrorists on Friday, December 29, 2017 in an attack on the Church of St. Mena in Helwan, as well as the attack on a store owned by a Coptic Christian man in the same area. May the Lord repose their innocent souls with “the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held” (Re 6:9), beseeching our Lord to grant their families heavenly condolences.
+ We pray for our wounded brothers and sisters who were injured in these acts of terrorism that the Lord God may grant them a speedy recovery.
+ We pray for the victims of terrorist attacks, our Muslim brethren. We extend our condolences to their families.
+ We pray for our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Atfih who were personally attacked as their church was ransacked. The attackers were rewarded by the closure of the church.
+ We pray for Christian churches in Egypt that recently were closed by unfair regulations and discrimination, asking our Lord through the intercession of the Holy Virgin Mary, “O Lord, open unto us the gates of the church. I entreat you, O Mother of God, keep the gates of the church open to the faithful.”
+ We pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer physical and verbal discrimination at their jobs and everyday lives for the sake of their Christian faith, remembering the saying of the Holy Apostle Peter, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you for the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you” (1 Pe 4:14).
+ We pray for our daughters and sisters who suffer harassment and attacks to the extent that some of them are kidnapped and forced to abandon their Christian faith. We ask God to support them through the prayers of the Holy Martyrs Demiana, Justina, Juliana, Barbara, and Catherine.
+ We pray for every courageous voice of our Muslim brethren who sympathize with us and reject the suffering and discrimination from which Coptic Christians suffer.
+ We pray for each courageous voice around the world that defends the oppressed and exposes actions of injustice and discrimination.
+ We pray for the people who discriminate against us, the people who incite violence against Christians, and the people who neglect to apply the rule of the law when the victims are Christian. May the Lord open their eyes and guide them to the light of the truth.
+ We pray for the peace of the Church, the peace of our beloved country, Egypt, and the peace of the world, having confidence in our Lord’s promise, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age” (Mt 28:50).
+ Let us pray with one heart: “O God, have mercy upon us, have compassion upon us, hear us, help us, and forgive us our sins.”
Metropolitan Serapion
