Of Christmas and politics

Political concerns were evident in Tuesday’s celebration of Coptic Christmas, with government officials making courtesy visits to the Church and priests communicating support for the draft constitution in their Christmas Eve sermons.

Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy visited Pope Tawadros of the Coptic Church on Tuesday, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported. Beblawy referred to Christmas as the first feast of the year, to be followed by the Prophet Mohamed’s birthday and the constitutional referendum, which he said would constitute the third feast.

Beblawy struck a chord with Christians during his visit to the pope, saying that the referendum ushers in a new period marking the birth of a peaceful and civil Egypt.

Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim also visited the pope on Tuesday, according to the state-owned portal Egynews. The meeting reportedly included a political exchange. The minister praised the church for its work in spreading values of tolerance, while the pope praised the police for their efforts to restore order to Egypt.

Courtesy visits aside, some sermons for Christmas mass included direct calls for a “yes” vote on the draft constitution. Egynews reported that Priest Ghobrial of Beni Suef said that voting for the constitution will mean economic salvation and a reclamation of Egypt’s power in front of the world. 

Meanwhile, at the Abbasseya Cathedral, hundreds applauded the mention of Minister of Defense and Commander-in chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. When the pope thanked Sisi for sending envoys to Monday night’s Christmas mass many of those in attendance held up pictures of the defense minister. 

The applause inside the cathedral was criticized by some activists on social media. “The scene of people hysterically applauding for Sisi at the cathedral is saddening. What is the difference between this applauding and the one for [Hosni Mubarak’s son] Gamal Mubarak in the past? Enough submission and illusions,” activist Fady Ishaq wrote on his Facebook page.

Many Christians supported the military’s move to remove former President Mohamed Morsi, fearing further marginalization by the Muslim Brotherhood-supported government.