CAIRO (AP) — A blindfolded child reached into a crystal chalice and pulled out a slip of paper — and Egypt’s Coptic Christians had a new pope.
At the Coptic Cathedral, there was a moment of silence. Then a boy, himself chosen by lottery, his face covered by a dark blue cloth decorated with religious images, was led to the chalice. Copts believe that his hand would be guided by God. He reached into the vessel and pulled out the name of Bishop Tawadros, who will be the next spiritual leader of the Copts.
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A blindfolded boy draws the name of the next pope from a crystal chalice next to acting Coptic Pope Pachomios, center, during the papal election ceremony at the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. Egypt’s ancient Coptic Christian church named a new pope on Sunday to spiritually guide the community through a time when many fear for their future with the rise of Islamists to power and deterioration in police powers after last year’s uprising. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
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