Egypt’s Copts to vote for a new Pope

Egypt’s Coptic Christians will vote for a new Pope on Monday, one to succeed Pope shenuda III who died last March.       

Five candidates including two bishops and three monks are contesting to become the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa in the Holy See of St Mark the Apostle.                

A council of senior clergy, current and former Coptic public officials, MPs, local councilors and journalists will cast a vote for their preferred candidate.         

On November 4, a child will be blindfolded and asked to choose one of the papers, as per tradition and the chosen person will be inaugurated in a ceremony on November 18.            

According to AFP, the candidates are Bishop Rafael, 54, a medical doctor and current assistant bishop for central Cairo; Bishop Tawadros of the Nile Delta province of Beheira, 60; Father Rafael Ava Mina, the oldest of the five candidates at 70; Father Seraphim al-Souriani, 53 and Father Pachomious al-Suriani, 49.              
They have been visiting churches and preaching across the country ahead of the voting.            

These elections come at a time when Coptic Christians are experiencing grave concerns and escalating sectarian tensions under the rule of an Islamist government.