Egyptian Copts celebrated Easter mass on Saturday just days after the deadliest attacks in living memory against the country’s religious minority. The faithful spent a large part of Easter eve going through arduous security checks outside places of worship, after twin Palm Sunday bombings killed 45 people in two cities north of Cairo. The government has declared a state of emergency and called in the army to protect “vital” installations following the suicide bombings in Tanta and Alexandria, which were claimed by the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group. “Security has indeed improved so much, as it seems the situation needed to be tightened up a lot,” said Coptic Church Spokesman Boulos Halim. Coptic Pope Tawadros II led Easter mass in Cairo’s Saint Mark’s Cathedral, while the church said celebrations this year would be scaled back. “Tanta and Alexandria created a big shock for all of Egypt,” Halim said. The Sunday bombings were the latest in a series of attacks against Egypt’s Copts who make up around 10% of the population.
