Pope Shenouda has granted permission for a Coptic youth to travel to Israel, provided the visit is work related, according to Rose al-Yūsuf.
“There is no problem with normalization with the Palestinians,” said the pope, “Work does not mean violation of the Church’s decision.”
Pope Shenouda has a long-standing position of not sanctioning any visits to Jerusalem by Copts, as this would be perceived as normalization with the state of Israel, who the pope views as mistreating Palestinians.
However, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd’s report on the same topic says that Pope Shenouda only sanctioned the work-related visit to the city of Jerusalem.
A third report in al-Miṣrī al-Yawm said the youth had asked for permission to be employed in a monastery in Jerusalem. According to the paper, the pope approved the visit; so long as it "was for work and not for normalization with the Jews.”
The pope made his statements at the Coptic cathedral in ‘Abbāsiyyah during his first weekly address since returning from his trip to the United States for medical treatment.
Security at the meeting was so tight and extensive that even bishops and their cars were searched before entering the facility.
