Ethiopian delegation votes for Egypt's new Coptic Orthodox pope

Delegation of five Ethiopian priests cast ballots on Monday in Coptic Orthodox Church's ongoing papal elections

The Ehiopian delegation casts their votes
-Photo Ayman Hafez- Ahram Online

Cairo, Monday 29 Oct 2012: A delegation of five priests from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church cast their votes for a new Coptic Orthodox Pope on Monday noon.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is allowed to dispatch five representatives to vote in the Coptic papal election, in line with 1957 Coptic Church bylaws stating that the Ethiopian Church – which formally separated from Egypt's Coptic Church in 1959 – should have a say in the selection of the Coptic patriarch.
"The Ethiopian Church has a right to participate in the election of the pope in Egypt, just like the Egyptian Church has a right to participate in the election of the Ethiopian pope," said Coptic Church spokesman Bishop Paula.

On Monday, some 2,400 Coptic electors chose three finalists from among five nominees. The winner, who will become Egypt's 118th Pope, will replace Pope Shenouda III, who passed away last March after serving as Coptic patriarch for 40 years.
The papal elections, which began early Monday and will end at 5pm the same day, are being conducted at Cairo's Coptic Cathedral in Abbassiya.


Ahram Online.