Pope Shenouda, who was 88, had suffered from cancer and kidney problems for years.

His death comes at a time of rising fears for Egypt's 10 million Coptic Christians, who have felt increasingly vulnerable since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak and amid attacks on churches by hard-line Islamists and repression by Egypt's security forces.

The rise to power of conservative Islamist parties has also raised concerns that Egyptian national identity is becoming more closely bound to Islam.

"It's an injection of uncertainty for Copts at a time of transition in the country," said Michael Wahid Hanna, a fellow at the Century Foundation. "Whether people were fond of him or not, this will cause anxiety."

On Saturday night, hundreds of Coptic Christians gathered at Cairo's main cathedral to grieve.

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