CAIRO — The Catholic Church in Egypt faces the challenge of keeping its young population attached to the faith, a bishop in the country said, noting that many youths abandon the Catholic faith at marriage.
Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Emmanuel Bishay of Egypt's Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Luxor clarified that relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches are good.
However, he pointed out the challenge of keeping youths in the Church, noting that to deepen the Catholic faith, the Church runs formation programs alongside initiatives that make it easier for young Catholics to meet and forge relationships.
"At the official level, relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches are good. There is affection, and people exchange greetings on religious occasions," Bishay said in an Oct. 19 ACN report.
"Unfortunately, if a young Catholic man or woman marries an Orthodox person, they may be required to become Orthodox and to follow the Orthodox Church's requirements," he said. "This is a major challenge for us as a Church: How can we help our young people deepen their Catholic faith and remain attached to their Church?"
"I believe that the formation we provide, especially through catechesis, is an important service. We also create many opportunities for young Catholics to meet one another," he said.
In Egypt, Catholics are described as "a minority within a minority" in the ACN report. The charity organization says that the largest Christian denomination in Egypt is the historic Coptic Orthodox Church.
"Though there are no official numbers, estimates point to between 10 and 15 million Copts in the country, making it the biggest Christian community in the Middle East, by a large margin. Muslims make up the vast majority of the rest of Egypt's 120 million people," the ACN report said.
The Catholic Coptic Church, on the other hand, has only around 300,000 faithful living in Egypt, but according to Bishay, they are playing an important part in forging good relations between different religious communities and also for their contributions to health, education, and culture.
"As one travels farther into Upper Egypt, people can be somewhat more rigid in their attitudes. We make every effort to build relationships with the Orthodox community and with Muslims, who are the majority, even if we encounter some difficulties, especially in villages and small settlements," Bishay was quoted as explaining.
Regarding relations with the Muslim community, the Catholic bishop admitted that there have been difficult periods but said the situation has improved.
"The hard-line voices that used to be heard are no longer as prominent, while another voice, the moderate one, is growing. The change is slow but noticeable: People are listening to those with moderate views, and the government is giving them room to act. The process is moving in this direction. I believe that if Egypt continues along this path, things will keep getting better," the Church leader said.
Bishay further said that the Catholic Church plays an outsized role in the services it provides in Egypt, especially in the poorer regions, but its faithful continue to face difficult challenges as a minority within a large country.
"The Catholic Church is small in numbers but strong in services. Some of the best schools in Egypt are Catholic schools, and the fact that state officials regularly turn to Catholic schools is evidence of this. We also work in healthcare. Our diocese alone has 14 clinics, most of which are staffed by religious sisters who devote much of their time to this work. Another contribution is through cultural centers and libraries," Bishay explained.
He added: "The Catholic Church has not only provided these services; it has also shown Egyptian society how to provide them. The Coptic Orthodox Church learned to provide them from us and, more recently, mosques have also begun providing services of this kind, following our example. The Catholic Church has been a pioneer in this field."
The bishop went on to say that the services are particularly important in the Eparchy of Luxor.
"Upper Egypt receives less attention than the Delta and the north of the country, which means that services are less adequate, particularly in healthcare. Hospitals do not always meet the required standard, and there are also shortcomings in education and childcare. This requires a great deal of effort from us as the Catholic Church."
He added: "The figures indicate that we are among the poorest governorates in Egypt. This affects people's abilities and talents, whether intellectual or otherwise. It saddens me to see talented people whose abilities are not given their due, or whose surroundings do not give them the opportunity to develop and fulfill their potential," the bishop said.
He expressed gratitude to ACN, which he said continues to support the Catholic Church in Egypt in many different fields.
"ACN is a very important support for us. What is especially valuable is that the foundation looks at our priorities, rather than imposing its own agenda. That is very important!"
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
