Coptic Pope Rejects Egyptian Court Ruling on Remarriage of Divorcees

[struggle4progress]

(AINA) -- The head of the Coptic Church in Egypt has rejected a court ruling (AINA 5-30-20) that orders the church to allow divorced Copts to remarry in the church. In a press conference held on Tuesday June 8, Pope Shenouda, reading from the statement issued by the Holy Synod's 91 Bishops including himself said "The Coptic Church respects the law, but does not accept rulings which are against the Bible and against its religious freedom which is guaranteed by the Constitution." He went on to say "the recent ruling is not acceptable to our conscience, and we can not implement it."

He also said that marriage is a holy sacrament of a purely religious nature and not merely an "administrative act." This statement came in response to the Supreme Court's ruling which said that the duties of the church was administrative. He pointed out that the second marriage for divorcees is a religious issue, governed by the Bible ...

http://www.aina.org/news/20100608192647.htm

[Jim__]

1. Separation of church and state was a good idea when our Constitution was written.

It's still a good idea.

[struggle4progress]

2. Egypt apparently does not have civil marriage and marriage law

is thus determined by the religion of the couple


Egyptian pope rejects ruling letting Copts remarry
Tue Jun 8, 2010 2:41pm GMT
... Under Egypt's personal laws, marriage and divorce proceedings are based on the couple's religion. But in any marriage between a Muslim and non-Muslim, Islamic law prevails. Divorce is an accepted practice in the Muslim community ... http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE6570CW20100608?sp=true

Tue, 08/06/2010 - 21:11
UPDATED
Coptic remarriage: How to solve the impasse
... Although the ruling has given hope to those Copts wishing to marry again, it also contradicts another verdict, issued by the Court of Cassation, that Coptic divorcees are to be governed by the laws of their religion. The Administrative Court's decision is a triumph for human rights--particularly the right to remarry--but contravenes the Church's absolute authority over questions relating to religious creed. So are we on the verge of another clash between the church and state? The Egyptian state should not pressure the church to change its position, but rather should legislate procedures that permit civil marriages. As to the demands of the church, these should be addressed in the family affairs draft law that all churches agreed to in 1979. This draft law, which the government has kept in the drawer ever since, stipulates that divorce can be granted only in cases of adultery ... http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/opinion/coptic-remarriage-how-solve-impasse