Political reax as Tawadros II enthroned as Coptic pope
(18 Nov 2012)
1. Wide of media watching the enthronement ceremony on television
2. Media watching enthronement ceremony
3. Exterior of the main Coptic Cathedral
4. Wide of Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil leaving after the enthronement ceremony
5. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Hesham Kandil, Egyptian Prime Minister:
"Congratulations to all the Egyptians, especially our brothers the Copts for the enthronement of Pope Tawadros II, and I hope that he would follow in the footsteps of the late Pope Shenouda III in achieving a national Egyptian unity, and for Egyptian Muslim and Christians to work together for the future of Egypt."
6. Wide of officials leaving the cathedral
7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic): Hamdin Sabbahi, politician and former presidential candidate:
"I am hopeful for the new pope because of his patriotism, his belief in Egypt and its role in the Arab region and the world."
8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic): Amr Moussa, former Secretary-General of the Arab League:
"Hopeful for equal rights in citizenship for both Muslim and Christians, and hard work in the hard situations that we are going through right now."
9. Exterior of Coptic Cathedral
10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic): Hany Ramzy, Coptic actor:
"This is a great honour for Egypt and all Egyptians, not just the Copts. The future role of the church is hard. All Muslim and Christians will work together to move forward with Egypt."
11. Wide of Coptic Cathedral
STORYLINE
The new pope of Egypt's Orthodox Coptic church was enthroned on Sunday in an elaborate ceremony lasting nearly four hours, attended by the nation's Muslim prime minister, and a host of Cabinet ministers and politicians.
The sixty-year-old Pope Tawadros II was elected on 4 November, but the official enthronement ceremony was held at the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo on Sunday.
He replaced Shenouda III, who died in March after leading the ancient church for 40 years.
Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil was hopeful the new pope would "follow in the footsteps of the late Pope Shenouda III in achieving Egyptian unity, and for Egyptian Muslim and Christians to work together for the future of Egypt."
Two leading political figures in Egypt, Hamdin Sabbahi and Amr Moussa, were also optimistic Tawadros II would unite the nation.
"I am hopeful for the new pope because of his patriotism, his belief in Egypt and its role in the Arab region and the world," Sabbahi said.
Moussa commented that he was "hopeful for equal rights in citizenship for both Muslim and Christians, and hard work in the hard situations that we are going through right now."
The packed cathedral repeatedly erupted into applause as the ceremony progressed.
The ceremony's climax came when the papal crown was placed on Tawadros' head before he sat on the throne of St. Mark, the Coptic church's founding saint.
Tawadros did not address the televised ceremony, but had a brief speech read on his behalf by one of the church's leaders in which he pledged to work for the good of Egypt, with its Muslims and Christians alike.
Egypt's Christians make up about 10 per cent of the nation's estimated 83 (m) million people, making them the largest single Christian community in the Middle East.
Christians have long complained of discrimination, particularly in the last four decades as the country's Muslim majority moved towards religious conservatism.
The rise to power of Islamists after the removal, nearly two years ago, of Hosni Mubarak as president has deepened their concerns, amid increasing attacks targeting their churches and businesses.
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