CWN - Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawardros II has cancelled his regular weekly public audiences because of a spate of violent attacks on Christians in Egypt.
The Egyptian prelate said that he would not be holding his Wednesday audiences again for an indefinite period. He said that he would instead use the time to pray for the victims of volence. This is the second time that he has suspended his weekly audiences because of sectarian violence; he cancelled audiences for ten weeks in 2013.
The Coptic leader took this step after a Coptic Christian was killed in an assault by Muslim extremists in Minya on July 17, and several homes of Copts were attacked by a mob in Beni Suef.
Pope Tawadros customarily holds his weekly audiences in Cairo.
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