What behind Virgin Apparitions in Egypt ?

On Saturday,Dec,12th, 2009, A crowd of people gathered to see what was allegedly reflect a luminous incarnate of the Virgin Mary on the Lighthouse of the Virgin Mary's church in "Al-Warraq" area , Cairo , Egypt, As the claiming of her apparition on the dome in a luminous form and the appearance of spiritual objects such as pigeons and talking about miracles of healing those who attended that scene.

This was not the first time in Egypt, As the alleged Virign Mar’s apparition was repeated in the past more than once and with a similar way but in different places, It was in 1968 on the Lighthouse of the Virgin Mary's church in "Al-Zaytun" district , Cairo , Egypt, and also in 1986 on the Lighthouse of Santa " Demiana" in Shubra , Cairo , Egypt, as well in 1992 in the Virgin Mary's monastery in "Assiut" city, Egypt.

- People's opinions differed about this phenomenon, some of them believed that it was a divine miracle and some researchers interpreted it as a radiation caused by static electricity in appropriate weather conditions which is termed by The fire of St. Elmo, In addition to a third opinion expressed by some Coptic intellectuals who are in charge of the Church which was published recently on the Web site of "Almesryoon" newspaper, and we will include what stated in that opinion in the following lines:

- Many Coptic intellectuals agreed unanimously on that there are signs of the alleged apparition on the Lighthouse of the Virgin Mary's church in "Al-Warraq" area , Cairo , Egypt, including a "political" indication, emphasizing that it was not a apparition in the known sense, that everyone be sure in something, he/she will believe, see and hear it and perhaps whisper to it as well.

- The researcher and the author Dr. Rafik Habib interpreted the alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary as it has a sign that reflects the need to feel the spiritual and moral support by the Coptic Community generally , or a sect of its sects , in a hint to the Orthodox Church, which has rumored the apparition of the Virgin Mary , despite the denial from the other Christian sects, as well as from reliable sources of the Church itself. Dr. Habib also said in a commentary for " Almesryoon " newspaper that the Christian community thinks of the alleged apparition that there is a hand from the heaven support it , and this emphasizes the need of the Coptic Community to feel that moral support and it had a some feeling of crisis or suffering, and it interpret this need with a moral support believing that it comes from the heaven. Dr. Habib continued saying: That the luminous apparition is always linked to a crisis experienced by the Coptic Community rather than a general crisis that concerns the whole society, and this comes to respond to it and to alleviate the crisis stress, and it is a phenomenon of a Coptic Origin, and he thinks that the miracle basis is the faith and personal satisfaction, as who see and experience it , he /she is the one who believes in the miracle and the possibility of its occurrence and the Church does not like to support that quickly because it is worried to hurt the people good feelings ,therefore it appears cautious in its statements.

- Dr. Habib who is an Egyptian intellectual of the Anglican Sect that the phenomenon is one of the religiousness phenomenon apparitions in Egypt, which is accompanied by making a kind of communication with the saints and the holy men, in requesting for moral support or a miracle, and the alleged Apparition of the Virgin Mary is streaming out from the Coptic Community's concepts and ideas. on the contrary, the leaders of the Anglican sect considered the speech about the apparition of the Virgin Mary on the Lighthouse of the Virgin Mary's church in "Al-Warraq" area , Cairo , Egypt "is a myth that the Orthodox Church bluffs the idiots with it", asserting that this is baseless, and this is confirmed by the video clips which was filmed during the "appearance of just a mere bright light, or keen laser flashes"(Watch the video below).

- But Dr. Habib explains this that the official Orthodox Church believes that the era of miracles is still going on and that the miracle occurs, and it documenting it as it is sure of it , then it declare formally that it occurred. The miracle meaning in the Christian minds is the showing of the God's will and his bless and support for the Christian people. For his part, the Coptic researcher and editor in chief of "El-Ahad schools Magazine" Mr. Akram Habib said that this subject demonstrates a social crisis rooted in the Egyptian community, and who supports the fact of the apparition, claim to say that it is a support from the heaven to face the crisis which experienced by the community, and he suggested that it has a political significance, as there is no space of the spiritual aspects has not a social or political dimension, and it is enough the sense of the Copts with such feelings "negative" towards the accidents of "Farshout" in Upper Egypt. He also added: That the embarking upon the Transfiguration has a clear social signification itself at the community thirst of the heaven interference to solve their social and economic problems which they experiencing.

- In his turn, Mr. Kamal Zakher the coordinator of the Coptic seculars front thinks that the occurring riot and struggle gives an impression that there is a need for justice and refers to the deficiencies in the mechanisms to reach a unanimous agreement on the legislator opinion , that the people have no one listening to their moaning on the earth , so they resort to the heaven as just communicating with the heaven for the Copts , make them feel more secure.

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Sources
- Al Masryoon