Christian leaders in Egypt have welcomed the government's latest decision to grant legal status to hundreds of churches and church-related facilities, describing the move as another positive step towards improving the standing of Christian communities across the country.
The decision was announced on 19 May following a Cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly. Under the new measure, 191 churches and affiliated buildings have received official approval.
Church representatives said the ongoing efforts by Egyptian authorities to regularise the status of Christian places of worship have brought encouragement to many congregations. Leaders noted that while numerous churches have already benefited from the process, others are still awaiting approval under the government's established procedures.
The Rev. Khalaf Barakat, President of the General Evangelical Baptist Assembly in Egypt, expressed appreciation for the cooperation shown by state authorities in recent years. He said Baptist churches, along with congregations from other denominations, have seen progress through the legalisation programme, while some applications remain under review.
Since a special government committee was established in 2016 to oversee church licensing, a total of 3,804 churches and church-related buildings have been granted legal recognition. The initiative forms part of a wider effort to address the status of thousands of worship facilities that were built over previous decades without official licences.
Meanwhile, Egyptian lawmakers are continuing to examine proposed legislation that would create a unified framework for personal status matters affecting Christians.
On 4 May, the government submitted two separate family law bills to Parliament, one relating to Muslims and another concerning Christians. The proposed Christian legislation addresses a range of family and personal status issues, including marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance.
The draft law is currently being reviewed by a joint parliamentary committee involving representatives from legal, religious, social affairs and human rights bodies. Amendments may still be made before the legislation proceeds further through Parliament.
If approved, the law would introduce the first comprehensive written personal status code covering several Christian denominations in Egypt. These include Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Evangelical and Catholic communities.
The proposed legislation covers matters such as engagement, marriage procedures, annulment, divorce, child custody arrangements, visitation rights, parental responsibilities, inheritance, family guardianship and issues relating to missing persons.
Among the proposed changes are requirements for engagement agreements to be formally documented and for churches to announce marriages before ceremonies take place. Marriage contracts could also include mutually agreed conditions covering matters such as employment and financial responsibilities.
Reports indicate the legislation would provide equal inheritance rights for men and women. Under the current system, inheritance disputes are often governed by Islamic legal provisions, which generally allocate a larger share to male heirs.
The draft law also includes new provisions allowing children to spend overnight visits with non-custodial fathers and travel with them for a limited period each year. In addition, it would recognise electronic communication as a means of maintaining contact between children and non-custodial parents.
The developments come nearly a decade after Egypt adopted the Church Construction Law in 2016. The legislation transferred authority for approving church construction and renovation projects to provincial governors, expanding decision-making beyond the country's security agencies and streamlining the approval process for Christian places of worship.
Adapted and rewritten from reporting originally published by Christian Daily International.
