Commenting on the burning of churches through a live phone conversation on St. Mark Orthodox Church satellite channel, Pope Tawadros II stated, “What is happening to the land of Egypt is sad by all means, and what happened last Wednesday is criminality and brutality by people who speak in the name of religion.” The Pope added, “The hand of evil burns, kills and destroys, but the hand of God is stronger which protects and builds...The vengeance of God is harsh and severe” (Milad Hanna, al-Masry al-Yawm, Aug. 17). Read original text in Arabic.