Rome, Italy, Feb 5, 2011 / 09:50 am
The head of Egypt’s tiny Catholic minority is urging a return to order in the country after 11 days of anti-government protests.
Patriarch Cardinal Antonios Naguib of Cairo praised the largely peaceful demonstrations. However, he warned that their efforts will have been in vain if the outcome is an Egypt ruled by Islamic extremists.
In the face of protesters’ demands that he resign, President Hosni Mubarak appointed a vice-president and announced he would leave office in September.
“Now it remains to be seen who will take up the succession and what direction they will move ahead,” Patriarch Naguib told CNA in an e-mail on Feb. 4.