Assiut
Our Lady of Upper Egypt
Picture Akher Saa news
Since mid-August 2000, the Egyptian
city Assiut has been experiencing unusual
light phenomena: "A concentrated
light frequently appears on the roof of
St. Mark's church, sometimes in the form
of a dove, sometimes a full-sized figure
of a person between the towers,"
according a local chemist.
Assiut is one of Egypt's Christian
centers, with a 40% Coptic population,
but also has hundreds of mosques. The
phenomenon occurs on St. Mark's church, a
large Coptic church in the center of the
Old Town. Hundreds, sometimes thousands
of people pray, sing and dance around the
church.
It was initially thought that the
phenomenon were some kind of trick with
lasers or a special light show, so the
local government ordered the electricity
for the entire neighborhood to be
switched off for one night, in order to
uncover any deception. The light was not
affected.
The phenomena attracted thousands of
Christians, who believed that nothing
less as the Holy Virgin appeared.
Miracles and mysterious healings occured
almost daily.
The Coptic Orthodox bishops and the
Egyptian Pope Shenuda met to discuss the
phenomenon, but failed to reach a
consensus, according to a Protestant
source. None the less, St. Mark's church
attracted not only thousands of
Egyptians. Andrea Xandry, a Swiss church
consultant travelled to Egypt to
investigate the phenomenon, believes that
not the Holy Virgin, but angelic
appearances are to be the most likely
explanation.
"In the New Testament," he
says, "important Christian events
such as Jesus' birth, temptation,
suffering and resurrection are connected
with light (and angels) phenomena."
Xandry asked a local doctor and chemist
whether healings had occurred, and was
told that they had significantly fewer
customers since the phenomena began, and
that their colleagues reported the same
DAWN
News
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