The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land congratulated the recently elected Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Egypt, Bishop Ibrahim Isaac SIDRAK.
Bishop Ibrahim Isaac SIDRAK Coptic Catholic Patriarch Rue Ibn Sandar Saray El-Koubbeh 11712 CAIRO – Egypt
January 18, 2013
Beatitude,
The Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land have learned with joy that the Holy Synod elected you Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church.
The international press has called you “young patriarch.” We are confident that through this ‘youth’, you will be a reference point in the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East and the World Council of Churches and the Church of Egypt.
We wish you with all our hearts to be a Pastor according to the heart of Christ, by your intellectual preparation, by your closeness to your priests, your pastoral dynamism and social attention to the most disadvantaged, isolated and morally poor. Ten years as a bishop at the head of the Eparchy of Minya have forged you to be Head today of the Church. Congratulations!
We want to be close to you, supporting you in the hopes and challenges that await you: hope for a fruitful ecumenical dialogue facing new opportunities for collaboration offered by the new Coptic Orthodox Patriarch; challenges arising from the gradual Islamization of Egypt. We accompany you with our prayer.
We, the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land and the Papal Representatives, reiterate all our joy, and we offer you our most fraternal congratulations.
+ Fouad TWAL – President Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
+ Giorgio LINGUA Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan
+ Giuseppe LAZZAROTTO Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem/Palestine Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus
+ Michel SABBAH Latin Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem
+ Elias CHACOUR – Vice President Archbishop, Greek Melkite Catholics, Akka
+ Yaser Al-AYYASH Archbishop, Greek Melkite Catholics, Amman
+ Joseph SOUEIF Archbishop, Maronite, Cyprus
+ Moussa EL-HAGE Archbishop Maronites, Haifa and the Holy Land
+ Boutros MOUALLEM Archbishop Emeritus, Greek Melkite Catholics, Akka
+ Joseph Jules ZEREY Patriarchal Vicar, Greek Melkite Catholics, Jerusalem
+ Gregoire Pierre MELKI Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem
+ Maroun LAHHAM Latin Patriarchal Vicar, Jordan
+ Giacinto-Boulos MARCUZZO Latin Patriarchal Vicar, Israel
+ William SHOMALI Latin Patriarchal Vicar, Jerusalem and Palestine
+ Kamal-Hanna BATHISH Latin Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus
+ Selim SAYEGH Latin Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus
Rt. Rev. Joseph KELEKIAN Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarch, Jerusalem and Amman
Very Rev. Pierbattista PIZZABALLA, O.F.M. Custos of the Holy Land
Rev. David NEUHAUS, S.J. Patriarchal Vicar Hebrew-speaking Vicariate
Rev. Evencio DIAZ HERRERA , O.F.M. Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Cyprus
Rev. Raymond MOUSSALLI Chaldean Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan
Rev. Pietro FELET scj Secretary-general
