Egypt court: Coptic church must allow remarriage
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A court in Egypt has ordered the Coptic church to allow its faithful to remarry, quashing an appeal by the head of the church.
“By law, a Christian can remarry and the constitution guarantees his rights to have a (new) family. The appeal by Pope Shenuda III to prevent Copts from remarrying is rejected,” Egypt’s High Administrative Court said in its judgement, which can not be appealed.
Divorce is forbidden by the Coptic church except in proven cases of adultery, or if a spouse converts to another religion or branch of Christianity.
Civil marriage alone, without a religious ceremony, is not recognized in Egypt.
Coptic Church rejects second marriages despite court ruling
The Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church will not abide to a recent Higher Administrative Court ruling allowing Copts the right to remarry: “We respect the Egyptian judiciary, but no force on earth can make the Church violate teachings of the Holy Bible in order to execute a judicial verdict,” Father Armia, Pope Shenouda III’s secretary, said this week.
The Administrative Court’s verdicts are final and cannot be appealed.
In the last few years many, Copts have converted to Islam in order to get divorced. Most of them end up recanting and rejoining to their original Christian religion after their divorce procedures were secured.
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