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Coptic Orthodox Church Response to Starvation Allegations

Following the recent allegations of starvation by American exchange student, Mr. Jonathan McCullum, the Coptic Church feels it is important to address not only the specific claims, but also any misconceptions about the traditions and customs of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt.

While the Church is taking the allegations of starvation very seriously, we are not yet ready to make a determination as to the events surrounding these claims.

The Church feels it is important to address the misconceptions regarding the tradition of "fasting". Fasting, coupled by prayer and almsgiving, is a means of sacrifice offered to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, following the model that He gave us in the Holy Bible. It is part of the spiritual routine of our members that encourages them to discipline the body in order to strengthen the spirit.

The Church encourages her members to "fast" during various holy days throughout the year in a spirit of joy and humility. However, we recognize that to refrain from eating entirely during these fasts could, and likely would, endanger the health and well being of our Christians community – a result the Church obviously does not want. As such, every member of the Church is expected to seek counsel from the respective church priest/spiritual father to determine how many hours each morning the believer should abstain from food before continuing the rest of each day primarily with a vegan diet (which may include seafood, depending on the type of fast it is).

It is our sincere hope that Mr. McCullum continues to recover from the lack of sufficient nourishment during his time abroad. However, it is also our hope that the public recognizes that our traditions and values encourage the protection of life, and to deprive an individual of food altogether is contrary to this goal.

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern USA