Abu Dhabi, 18th March 2012 (WAM) -- The St. Antony Coptic Orthodox Church in Abu Dhabi received today mourners on the passing of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark.
A UAE delegation comprising Ahmed Juma Al Za'abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs, and Ali Al Hashemi, Advisor for Judicial and Religious at the Ministry, along with Egyptian Ambassador to the UAE Tamir Mansour offered heart-felt condolencesto Pastor Ishaq El Anba Bishoy, Pastor of the Saint Anthony Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abu Dhabi at the Cathedral. A group of Muslim scholars and the Scientific Council at Abu Dhabi Crown Prince'sCourt, heads of Coptic churches in Abu Dhabi and resident Egyptian Christians andMuslims were among the mourners. Pope Shenouda III had in several occasions commended the inter-faithtolerance and co-existence policy adopted by the UAE under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Rulers of Emirates and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. He praised Sheikh Khalifa and Sheikh Mohammed aswise men for allowing the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox to open their churchin Abu Dhabi on 25 April 2007 on a land granted to them by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.
