Dozens of churches and Christian properties were attacked inAugust, the month after the army overthrew Islamist PresidentMohamed Morsi.
Since then, although wider reprisals against Christians havebeen infrequent, sectarian rhetoric from Islamists againstChristians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population,has intensified and the authorities are on alert for any attack.
Morsi's relations with the Coptic church during his year inoffice were poor. Pope Tawadros had accused the freely electedIslamist of neglecting the Coptic community.