According to sources of the papal headquarters, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II is planning a visit to the United States of America and Canada for the opening of new Coptic Churches there. This will be the first trip abroad since his consecration last November.

The sources added that expatriate Copts in Canada and the U.S. are the largest financial supporters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt. Coptic Orthodox Archpriest Seraphim al-Surīyānī, one of the final candidates for papacy, was appointed as secretary of expatriate Copts' affairs.

In addition, Pope Tawadros arrived yesterday in al-Muharraq Monastery of Asyut Upper Egypt to attend the sixth conference on the Coptic history of monasticism which will be held from 4-10 February and will be attended by around 100 Egyptian and foreign researchers of Coptic monuments and history of the monastery.

Pope Tawadros will hold mass in the monastery today Tuesday and is expected to return back to Cairo by the end of the same day (John ‘Abd al-Malāk, al-Misrīyūn, Feb. 5, p. 2).  Read original text in Arabic.