Egypt’s Coptic pope blasts Islamist president over handling of recent sectarian violence

CAIRO – The leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has blasted the country’s Islamist president over his handling of the recent deadly sectarian violence, including an attack on the main cathedral in Cairo.

Pope Tawadros II says that President Mohammed Morsi had promised him in a telephone conversation to do everything to protect the cathedral, “but in reality he did not.”

Asked to explain Morsi’s attitude, Tawadros said it “comes under the category of negligence and poor assessment of events.”

The Coptic pope spoke in a telephone interview Tuesday to a political talk show aired on the private ONTV network.

An angry mob of Muslims threw firebombs and rocks on Sunday at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo, leaving two Christians dead.