WCC NEWS: WCC mourns loss of lives in Egypt church fire

World Council of Churches Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed grief and extended condolences in the wake of a church fire in Egypt that killed at least 41 people, 18 of them children. Candles by the entrance to the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary, Elsourian in Cairo, Egypt. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 15 August 2022 World Council of Churches Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed grief and extended condolences in the wake of a church fire in Egypt that killed at least 41 people, 18 of them children. The Abu Sefein Coptic church, in Giza, part of greater Cairo, caught fire on 14 August.  “The WCC and its member churches around the world join in praying for those who have lost loved ones,” said Sauca. “We mourn for those affected by this tragedy.” The fire is believed to have been caused by a faulty air conditioning unit on the second floor.  WCC member churches in Egypt See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland