Egypt's Coptic Catholic Church to Participate in Vatican Papal Elections

The Ahram
March 2, 2013

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/65940/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Coptic-Catholic-Church-to-participate-in-Va.aspx

Egypt's Coptic Catholic Church Patriarch Bishop Antonios Naguib

Patriarch Bishop Antonios Naguib will take part in Vatican Papal conclave Tuesday, Coptic Catholic Church's first representation in such conclave in 50 years

For the first time in 50 years, Egypt's Catholic Church will take part in the upcoming papal elections in the Vatican.

Spokesman of Egypt's Coptic Catholic Church Father Rafiq Greish announced Saturday that the Church's archbishop, Patriarch Antonios Naguib, will head to the Vatican Tuesday to attend the Papal conclave of the College of the Cardinals, during which the next Pope will be elected.

Bishop Antonios was appointed as a member of the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

Greish said that Bishop Antonios had received the invitation from the Vatican but was reluctant to make the visit due to his condition of health. Nonetheless, according to Greish, he informed Vatican officials that he would participate in this "important event of the history of the church."

Pope Benedict XVI resigned 1 March after nearly eight years in office, hinting at Vatican infighting in his farewell speech.