Egypt's Coptic Christians chose three papal finalists

Author: Nehal El-Sherif

   Cairo (dpa) - Egypt's Coptic Christians chose three of five candidates who will be the finalists in the process of choosing a new pope to succeed Pope Shenouda III, who led the Coptic Orthodox Church for more than 40 years until his death in March.

   The three who will go forward to the draw are: Bishop Rafael, 54, a doctor who serves as the bishop for central Cairo; Bishop Tawadros, 60, of the Nile Delta province of Beheira; and Father Rafael Ava Mina, 70, who is the oldest.

   The names of three who got the highest votes will be written on separate pieces of paper and placed in a box on the altar of Saint Mark's Cathedral in Cairo. A blindfolded child will draw out one piece of paper on Sunday.

   A council of more than 2,400 Christians chose three of the five finalists.

   The voting comes as the country's minority has expressed fear about the rise of Islamists, especially after the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi became Egypt's first elected president after last year's popular uprising.

   Tight security was seen outside the polling place, Saint Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, where police officers lined the street on both sides for a couple of hundred metres outside. Entrances to the cathedral were manned by scouts.

   "The organization today is perfect," said a woman in her 50s, who was getting ready to cast her ballot, commending the smooth voting system. "There was a time when Pope Shenouda was needed. Now it is time for the next pope. What we want is to choose someone who has good relations with Jesus Christ."

   There were at least six voting areas. Two were for priests, two for monks and nuns, and the final two for lay people.

   The new pope, who will be the 118th head of the region's largest Christian minority, will be enthroned on November 18 in a ceremony in Cairo.

   Christians make up around 10 per cent of Egypt's 83 million people. They have long complained of discrimination and marginalization under the rule of former president Hosny Mubarak, who was ousted last year.

   There were several instances of violence targeting Christians after the 2011 revolution, and the number of court cases against Copts accused of blasphemy has increased.