"Pope Francis came to Egypt on Friday for a historic visit to the Arab and Muslim-majority nation
aimed at presenting a united Christian-Muslim front to repudiate violence committed in God’s name.
The Pontiff is holding a series of deeply symbolic meetings in Cairo with Egypt’s religious and political leaders; he is also to participate in an international peace conference organised by Al-Azhar, the world’s primary seat of Sunni Islamic learning.
Francis says he wants to bring a message of peace to a country that has for years endured an increasingly emboldened insurgency led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.
“It’s a trip of unity, of fraternity,” Francis told journalists travelling with him aboard the papal plane.
The Friday-Saturday visit is also meant to lift the spirits of Egypt’s large Christian community after three suicide bombings since December — including deadly twin Palm Sunday church attacks — killed at least 75 people. IS claimed responsibility for the attacks.
After talks with el-Sissi, Francis headed to Al-Azhar — the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islam teachings — where he was to meet privately with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Al-Azhar’s grand imam, and participate in an international peace conference.
In the meetings, Francis will likely seek to strike a delicate balance as Egypt’s top imam has been the target of mounting criticism by the pro-el-Sissi media for his perceived failure to modernise Islam’s religious discourse and purge canonical books from outdated teachings and hatred for non-Muslims.
Francis and Tawadros will preside over an ecumenical prayer service in St Peter’s church, the central Cairo church hit by a suicide bomber in December. Together they will pray for the victims of
the attacks — most of the 30 killed were women.
Francis has frequently spoken out about the present day’s Christian martyrs and the “ecumenism of blood” that has united Catholic, Orthodox and other Christians targeted for their faith by Islamic militants." CatholicHerald
The Pontiff is holding a series of deeply symbolic meetings in Cairo with Egypt’s religious and political leaders; he is also to participate in an international peace conference organised by Al-Azhar, the world’s primary seat of Sunni Islamic learning.
Francis says he wants to bring a message of peace to a country that has for years endured an increasingly emboldened insurgency led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.
“It’s a trip of unity, of fraternity,” Francis told journalists travelling with him aboard the papal plane.
The Friday-Saturday visit is also meant to lift the spirits of Egypt’s large Christian community after three suicide bombings since December — including deadly twin Palm Sunday church attacks — killed at least 75 people. IS claimed responsibility for the attacks.
After talks with el-Sissi, Francis headed to Al-Azhar — the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islam teachings — where he was to meet privately with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Al-Azhar’s grand imam, and participate in an international peace conference.
In the meetings, Francis will likely seek to strike a delicate balance as Egypt’s top imam has been the target of mounting criticism by the pro-el-Sissi media for his perceived failure to modernise Islam’s religious discourse and purge canonical books from outdated teachings and hatred for non-Muslims.
Francis and Tawadros will preside over an ecumenical prayer service in St Peter’s church, the central Cairo church hit by a suicide bomber in December. Together they will pray for the victims of
Francis has frequently spoken out about the present day’s Christian martyrs and the “ecumenism of blood” that has united Catholic, Orthodox and other Christians targeted for their faith by Islamic militants." CatholicHerald
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Revelation 13:3
