Cairo, Egypt - The head of Egypt's Coptic Church has issued a stern warning to dissident bishop Maximus I and anyone who might be tempted to join the breakaway church he is trying to set up.
"We do not recognise your prelacy nor your new name," Pope Shenuda III said in a message entitled "I am sorry for you, my son" and addressed to Maximus, whose real name is Max Michel on Monday.
"We warn you against celebrating any sacrament, we consider the religious enterprise you are undertaking completely void and we warn the people against dealing with you," said the pope, whose message was quoted by the official MENA news agency.
Maximus, who was ordained by the Old Calendarists -- a traditionalist Greek Orthodox group based in Nebraska -- has angered Shenuda by announcing plans to set up a rival church and speaking in favour of facilitating divorce and allowing bishops to marry.
Maximus also charged that Shenuda's 35-year-old pontificate had been disastrous and accused the Coptic leader of inciting sectarian violence in Egypt.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has so far said that he does not wish to intervene in the affairs of the church.
Copts make up between six and 10 percent of Egypt's 73 million population and are the largest Christian community in the Middle East.