As has become tradition, President Sisi attended the Christmas mass along with a retinue of other statesmen. This year, the mass was held at the Cathedral of the Nativity in the New Administrative Capital. The cathedral is a fairly new building, but the new city is located far from Cairo and no one is currently living in it  – ICC reports .

Christian holidays are always a difficult time in Egypt, including this Christmas season. Just days ago, Christians in one Qena village had attempted to gather in prayer, but were prevented because there is no legal church presence.

This remains a common problem in many Egyptian villages, despite a law passed in 2016 which has resulted in multiple churches obtaining official recognition.