CAIRO - Egypt's Pope Shenouda III Monday urged priests to prohibit non-religious gatherings, protests or conferences inside or near churches and auxiliary buildings, except under the full supervision of church authorities. "These gatherings should be banned as they cause many problems for passers-by and nearby shops," Shenouda told worshippers at a religious gathering Sunday night. Copts have recently staged a series of protests outside the main cathedral in Cairo and in the Upper Egyptian City of Minya over the disappearance of some Copts who were then later found in good health. "If any Copts want to gather near a church, the priests should be informed and they should have a supervisory role," the Coptic Pontiff said. A law was passed in 2008 outlawing public demonstrations in or near places of worship. While Government officials said at the time that the move was meant to preserve the inviolability of Egypt's mosques and churches, critics say the law was aimed at further stifling freedom of expression. Copts form the largest minority in Egypt, making up about 10 per cent of the overall population. They have recently held protests at the order of Shenouda over a court ruling, later overturned, to allow divorced Copts to remarry.
