Father Monk Takla - Soundcloud / Monk Mina Ava Marcos - Egypt Today / Monk Justus Ava Marcos - Egypt Today
CV NEWS FEED // Three Egyptian monks were killed in a stabbing attack at a Coptic Christian monastery in South Africa on Tuesday.
The fatal attack took place at Saint Mark the Apostle and Saint Samuel the Confessor Monastery in Cullinan, a small town about 20 miles outside the capital city of Pretoria.
The three monks killed were Father Monk Takla, Deputy Archbishopric of South Africa, Monk Justus Ava Marcos, and Monk Mina Ava Marcos. A fourth monk was severely beaten with an iron rod before escaping.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack and appeared in court on Thursday according to latest reports from AP News.
Police are currently holding Saeed Basanda, 37, and Samuel Avamarkos, 47, until their next court date on March 27. The suspects are currently waiting to obtain legal representation and an Arabic translator ahead of their trial.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
“There is no doubt that it is a painful incident,” Pope Towodros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly monitoring the situation closely.
While attacks against places of worship in South Africa have been historically “rare” according to AP’s reports, Islamic militant groups and extremists have repeatedly targeted the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt and elsewhere.
As CatholicVote previously reported, the Christians around the world recently commemorated the anniversary of the death of “the 21” Coptic Martyrs of Libya last month.
