The central committee on national awareness for Copts, affiliated to the Orthodox Church in Alexandria, apologized for not convening a conference titled “No for Directing (voters),” which was supposed to be held on Monday (May 21), due to pressures, the committee said in a statement.

The committee said in its statement that the conference was canceled to emphasize abidance by Bishop Pachomius' instructions.

The release appealed to Copts to observe the Holy Synod’s statement and to consider whoever states that they are backing a certain presidential candidate as only expressing their personal opinions, not the church’s. [Muhammad Fū’ād, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, May 22, p. 6] Read text in Arabic