The measures are meant to protect Coptic Christians and make sure that the country is safe for Pope Francis' visit at the end of April.
Consider: In 2011, a bomb at a Coptic church in Alexandria claimed the lives of 20 people and wounded almost 100, CNN reported.
The bombings on St. Mark's Coptic Church and St. George's Coptic Church on Palm Sunday have not dampened the spirits of the believers.
On Tuesday, parliament approved President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's decision to declare a three-month state of emergency following the suicide bombings in Alexandria and Tanta, which killed 45.
Terror analysts say the attacks on Egypt's Copts - one of the Middle East's most ancient Christian sects, in Egypt since its Roman antiquity, now comprising ten per cent of Egypt's population - should have been foreseen.
The attacks coincided with one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Jamie Eyre, director of programmes and partnerships at Embrace the Middle East, remarked: "There was a huge wave of optimism from Egyptian Christians when President Sisi came to power, which I think we often found hard to hear in the West".
"The attack.will only harden the determination [of the Egyptian people] to move forward on their trajectory to realise security, stability and comprehensive development", he said in a statement. Scores were also injured in the bombings claimed again by IS.
"We are at a breaking point", Bishop Makarios said, according to The New York Times.
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He said that even though El-Haggar was Muslim, she would pray at the church alongside her Coptic Christian neighbors.
According to Egypt's constitution and the 1958 emergency decree, the state of emergency grants Sisi the authority to use State Security Emergency Courts for a duration of three months.
In March the same year, 13 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Copts in Cairo's working class neighborhood of Moqattam, where around 1,000 Christians had gathered to protest over the torching of a church.
In December, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 29 worshippers in a Cairo church.
The attacks came only weeks before Pope Francis plans to visit Egypt to promote peace and dialogue between Christians and Muslims in the country. The attack in Tanta happened first, killing at least 27, and at least 17 people were killed hours later in Alexandria when security stopped the bomber outside the church.
The ministry added that the attacker is linked to an extremist Islamist terrorist group led by a wanted terrorist leader from Qena.
Pope Tawadros had been leading the mass at the time of the blast but escaped unharmed, the Interior Ministry said.
David Curry, CEO and President of Open Door USA, told The Christian Post on Tuesday that despite the pain and shock, faith remains strong among the Copts.



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