The Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity in the New Administrative Capital is ready for Christmas Mass this evening, officials told Al-Masry Al-Youm hours before the highly anticipated event.
The official spokesman for the New Administrative Capital Khalid al-Husseni said that the construction of the new cathedral was completed within a record time of no more than seven months.
He pointed out that all the specifications of geometric forms for the establishment of churches were taken into account, and bells were imported from Italy and installed to the church.
Husseni added that the construction of the cathedral was completed in fulfillment of the promise of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last year, which coincided with terrorist attacks against the churches.
Husseni added that the church’s construction began immediately on an area of more than 15 feddans, which is almost three times the size of the Abbasiya Saint Mark Cathedral.
It includes the People’s Church, the new papal headquarters and administrative offices. The main church consists of two floors; the ground floor can accommodate 2500 worshipers, while the upper floor can accommodate 7500 worshipers. Husseni added that the People’s Church can accommodate 1,000 worshipers and construction work is ongoing with a percentage of achievement exceeding 60 percent.
For his part, Head of the North Cairo Electricity Distribution Company Naji Aref said that his company is preparing for Christmas mass. He added that the company is due to supply electricity to the new cathedral and its adjacent areas in the New Administrative Capital, as there is no sources for electricity there.
Arif added that six power generators will be stationed in the cathedral to supply the church with the necessary electricity, lighting the perimeter of the church and fences and providing electricity for TV cameras, which will broadcast the mass from the church of the New Capital.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
