The Supreme Administrative Court has ordered Pope Shenouda III to allow two Copts, in two different lawsuits, to remarry after divorce.
Both claimants, Hani Wasfi and Magdi William, had asked the Church to permit them to remarry, but the Church refused. After appealing the Church’s decision, the Administrative Court ruled in the two men’s favor.
The court clarified that family formation is a constitutional right that is above any other considerations. While it expressed respect for religious beliefs, the court asserted that its decisions are made according to the law. The two rulings are considered final and uncontestable.
Al-Masry Al-Youm has been informed that the Cathedral held a meeting yesterday to discuss the two decisions. Bishop Saleeb Matta, head of el-Salam Orthodox Coptic Association and member of the General Congregation Council, expressed his respect for court’s decisions, but also said that “God should be obeyed more than people”
Matta added that according to the Bible’s teachings, divorced men can remarry only in cases of adultery and deceit-based marriage. He also added that whoever wants to remarry without the Church’s approval must perform a civil marriage.
On the other hand, Naguib Gebrael, head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations (EUHRO) and a church adviser, said that the court’s decision is non-binding from a religious perspective, as only religious authorities can decide whether a marriage is legitimate.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
