A source at the Egyptian Orthodox Church slammed as ‘unconstitutional' a ruling that a presidential decree appointing Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III in 1985 as chief of the church and the diocese was invalid. "This ruling issued by a family court in Alexandria contradicts with the Egyptian Constitution, and could never be put in force," said Bishop Salib Matta Sawiris, a member of the Sacred Council of the Egyptian Orthodox Church. He added that it was not the role of the family courts to issue such a ruling, which has no legal background. "The ruling depended on a decree issued by late President Anwar el-Sadat to dismiss Shenouda in 1981. However, the pope was then elected by the church as its chief," Sawiris said. The official papal stance on the ruling will be announced today. A family court in Alexandria last on Thursday ruled that Pope Shenouda's appointment was invalid, and all the decisions taken by him during the last 25 years should be revoked. Copts make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's largely Muslim population of 80 million, and are the Middle East's largest Christian community.
