The papal headquarters of the Orthodox Church received hundreds of letters inquiring about the health of Coptic Pope Shenouda ш, wishing him a speedy recovery and a merry Christmas. A source at the papal office stated that the pope was safe and sound, and that the sudden faint that overtook him on Thursday was minor and caused by exhaustion. He is now in Alexandria, actively pursuing his duties as per usual, according to the source. The Orthodox Cathedral in Abbasiya stepped up its preparations for its Christmas celebrations, to be held on 6 January. Invitations were sent to senior state figures such as Gamal Mubarak, the ruling National Democratic Party's assistant secretary general and policy secretary, and Margaret Scooby, the US ambassador to Egypt. As is customary every year, Shenuda authorized Tharwat Basily, chairman of the Coptic ecclesiastical council, to receive the VIP guests. The authorization confuted allegations that the pope had accepted his resignation. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
