Friction has worsened since President Hosni Mubarak, who suppressed Islamists, was ousted last year. Since then Shenouda, who died on Saturday aged 88, often called for harmony and regularly met Muslim and other leaders.

Christians, who comprise about a tenth of Egypt's 80 million people, have long complained of discrimination and in the past year stepped up protests, which included calls for new rules that would make it as easy to build a church as a mosque.

The Church can not accept the demand given the current situation in Egypt, he said, adding that it could negatively impact the "national unity that we are all defending."

During a ceremony held Thursday evening at Saint Mark's Cathedral in Abbasseya, Shenouda expressed his deep sorrow to the families of the victims and said he understood their grief.

The Church will support the families in all legal procedures, Shenouda said, noting that he has established a legal office in the cathedral to help guide the families to the proper avenues to achieve justice.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has also demanded the testimonies of those who witnessed the incident and called on them to submit all videos of it to the military prosecutor, Shenouda said. He added that SCAF members have promised an objective and impartial investigation into the issue.

Antoine Adel, a member of the political bureau of the Maspero Youth Union, revealed that a Coptic lawyer in Switzerland has filed a lawsuit in the North Africa International Court against the Egyptian government and justice minister for their failure to compel the military prosecutor to investigate the incident.

Awad Shafik, an Egyptian lawyer in Geneva, filed a suit on behalf of those killed, wounded and imprisoned after Maspero, Adel said during a press conference held Thursday by the union in response to a SCAF conference held last week to answer questions about the incident. He added that the court has accepted the case and it is currently being investigated.

Ehab Aziz the general coordinator of the Movement of Egyptian Copts, said the North Africa International Court is the first step in international litigation over the incident.

Source: Almasry Alyoum