11:25 PM
Tuesday 16 August 2022
Books – Islam Lotfi:
The Church of St. Anba Bishoy in the new city of Minya issued a statement this evening, regarding the fire that destroyed the ground floor of the church.
The statement said: “Flames and clouds of smoke were seen rising at exactly one thirty in the afternoon today, Tuesday, and the church at that time was closed and the lights were turned off, as Reverend Yosabazit, the church’s pastor, prayed the Mass in the upper church.”
He added: “As soon as the relevant agencies notified the movements of the civil defense forces to the church within minutes and succeeded in besieging the fire and preventing its spread to the Alawite church and was able to extinguish it without human losses. Immediately after the accident, His Grace Bishop Fam, Bishop of East Minya and its dependencies, received representatives of many state agencies, headed by them. The governor of Minya, the security services, and parliamentarians.
And the church continued: “The head of the church, Pope Tawadros II, followed up with Anba Fam the details and repercussions of the incident and reassured his sons from the church’s people. A team from the Public Prosecution conducted an inspection of the church and listened to what eyewitnesses said, and the criminal laboratory conducted an inspection of the church.”
The Church confirmed that the cause of the fire cannot be conclusive or guessed by personal judgments, but is determined by the results of inspections and investigations, and the Church trusts the state agencies that have spared no effort.
The Church called on everyone not to circulate the words of the missionary of Anba Fam, Bishop of East Minya and its dependencies.