The answer
1) The pictures that were published in El Keraza and those two books were not for the purpose of collecting money.2) You asked what harm pictures will bring to the children. Put yourself in those children's place and then you will know the answer. Do you think those children will be happy, when they grow up and find their pictures in these brochures? Yes, they provided them with food, education, shelter, and clothes but they deprived them of their dignity and honor.
3) I wonder how you say that their confidentiality is kept while their pictures and names are there! In addition, at http://www.copticorphans.org/sponsor/sponsor.html there has been posted the picture of a child along with a brief but incorrect history on his family,such as incorrect details about the father's daily earnings and wrong figures of Egyptian–US currency conversion rates. That conversion in itself is a gimmick to draw sympathy for these children.
4) You asked whether you should take permission from the church first in order to help a poor child. What kind of help is this when it is at the cost of a child's loss of dignity and self worth? I am sure you know that for many people dignity and honor is better than money and food.
5) Instead of being saddened by the Church defending the orphans and the poor, you should be saddened by the attitude of these organizations and instead of asking the Church to be silent in defending these orphans, you should ask these organizations to stop the psychological, societal, and emotional damage they are doing to the lives of the orphans.
6) Is it so difficult for these organizations to do what they do without revealing details through pictures, names and family history on flyers and on websites?
7) To donate to the poor is a biblical commandment from God that should be obeyed not because it is so and not just out of emotionall we are emotionally affected by the picture of a child.
8) Also you need to correct your perception concerning the Church attitude towards these organizations. It is the role of the Church to instruct and teach the commandment of God, and we tried several times with these organizations and the Church was widely open for them but they did not listen and they wanted to follow their own way. The Church is willing to work with them again when they show repentance and bear fruits worthy of repentance.
Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)