Condolences from the Orthodox and Coptic Churches of Egypt on the Crash of Russian Airbus-321

On October 31, 2015 Russian Airbus-321, headed for St. Petersburg, crashed over the Sinai peninusla, tragically killing all 224 onboard. In response to this tragedy the heads of the Orthodox and Coptic churches of Egypt have offered their prayers and condolences.

In a note posted on the Patriarchate's site, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, while on a missionary trip in Uganda, wrote to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill:

Your Beatitude and Most Holy Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, most beloved brother in Christ and concelebrant of my mediocrity, I embrace Your Holiness fraternally in the Lord, and address you. Already on our way to Uganda on a missionary journey, with sadness and anxiety we were informed by video and written mass media reports of the tragic news of the crash of the Russian aircraft and the untimely death of the passengers onboard. Through this fraternal letter we express our deepest condolences and our full support to you and to the families of the victims, and the pious Russian people, praying that the benevolent Lord will place the departed in a place of the living, and that the Most Holy Virgin, the hope of the despairing, will grant solace to you all. So, expressing again to you and to your Church heartfelt and complete support from our Apostolic and Patriarchal Throne and surrounding you with a fraternal and holy embrace, we remain in Christ’s love and all honour.

The brother of Your Most Holiness in Christ,

+ Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch f Alexandria and All Africa In the Great City Of Alexandria 31 October 2015

Pope Tawadros II of Egypt's Coptic Church also offered these words of consolation:

We offer our heartfelt condolences to the Russian people and government for those who lost their lives in the of crash of the Russian passenger plane that came down in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Saturday. Russia and Egypt are bound by a historic deep-rooted relationship. We ask the Lord to grant the victims’ families comfort and peace.

The Council of Egypt’s Churches also issued a statement of condolence which said:

The Council of Egypt’s Churches has received with pain the news of the Russian plane crash. We extend our sincere condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian people and government, and the families of the victims.