Patriarch welcomes favorably new Egyptian President’s signs of openness
Communiqué: Sunday, June 24, 2012, Mohamed Morsi, leader of the Islamic party of Liberty and Justice, was declared the winner in the Egyptian presidential elections. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the name of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, sent to the new President his felicitations and wishes that the promises of openness and democracy in favour of Egyptians, of women and Copts are to be respected.
His Beatitude Archbishop Fouad Twal, who spent three years of his diplomatic service in Cairo, welcomes the “conciliatory” plan of the new Egyptian president to appoint a woman and a Coptic as vice-presidents (*) “I hope that this step ascribes to Christians and women their rightful place in the country. We also welcome that Mohamed Morsi is ‘President of all Egyptians’ and the guarantor of minority rights. We assure the new President of our prayers.”
The Patriarch recognizes as “positive” this victory and hopes that “all Egyptians can work in a spirit of cooperation towards the new President in view of the transformation of the country towards greater democracy, justice, freedom.” He then hopes that the new President can lead the country towards a greater peace in the region and internationally.
(*) according to one of the councilors, Ahmed Deif, interviewed by an American television