The head of the Coptic church celebrated Christmas Friday in accordance with the Orthodox calendar, preaching a message of peace to 2,000 or so members of one of the world's oldest Christian denominations.
Speaking in Cairo's towering Abbasiya Cathedral, the air scented with incense smoke for the holiday, Pope Shenouda III spoke to an audience including the U.S. ambassador, leading government ministers and Gamal Mubarak, son of Egypt's president.
His Christmas message touched on the need for peace in the Palestinian territories, in Iraq and in Sudan, where thousands of refugees have fled the war-ravaged region of Darfur.
The Coptic pope's message failed to directly address issues confronting his own community, a Christian minority in Muslim majority Egypt, where many Copts claim they are discriminated against.
Last month, authorities detained 34 young Copts during several days of protests at Abbasiya Cathedral. They have since been released.
The demonstrations were sparked by reports that the wife of a Coptic priest had been kidnapped in a bid to force her to convert to Islam, an act severely frowned upon within this conservative Christian faith. She later returned to the church and said she would remain a Copt.
Instead, Shenouda seemed to comment on the conflict, and an increasingly shrill protest from other Coptic leaders, by preaching about the power of silence.
"He (Jesus) was silent at times, and he spoke at times. When he spoke he gave advice and useful words," Shenouda said. "And when he was silent, his silence was more eloquent than his words."
Shenouda, holding a golden cross and cane and wearing red and white flowing robes, did not elaborate during his speech greeting Christmas, which the Copts celebrate on Jan. 7 according to the Julian Calendar followed by most Orthodox churches in eastern Europe, Greece, Russia and the Middle East.
No colored lights and decorations were festooned around the cathedral as in previous years, a deliberate move taken by church leaders to display their sadness over the detention of the 34 Copts.
While authorities say Egypt's Copts and Muslims live in harmony, the country's Christians complain of discrimination in the job market and in obtaining permission to build churches.
Copts comprise roughly 10 percent of Egypt's 70 million population. They have a long history in Egypt — tradition says St. Mark brought Christianity to Egypt just a few years after the death of Christ.