Pope Francis has arrived in Egypt. The papal flight Alitalia A321 landed in the Egyptian capital of Cairo at about 2 p.m. local time.
This visit, April 28-29, marks Francis’ 18th Apostolic Journey abroad, and 27th country visited. It also marks the second time that a Pope goes to the north African nation, after the visit of John Paul II in 2000.
Upon his arrival, Pope Francis had the welcome ceremony at the presidential palace of Heliopolis, the courtesy visit to the President of the Republic.
The Pope then will visit the Great Imam of Al-Azhar, and there will be an exchange of gifts.
Pope Francis was invited to Egypt by President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, the great Imam of al-Azhar University, Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed al-Tayeb, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, and by the Catholic bishops.
The Holy Father will give three speeches today: one to the nation’s authorities and diplomatic corps, another at an international conference on peace in Al-Azhar, and the last during his visit with Tawadros II.
During his journey, the Pope is accompanied by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, Cardinals Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches and Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Unity, and Apostolic Nuncio in Egypt, Bishop Bruno Musaró. The interpreter of the Pope will be his private secretary, official of the secretariat of state, Msgr. Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, a Catholic Coptic priest of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Egypt has some 90 million inhabitants, a majority of whom, at least 85%, are Muslims. About 10% of the population are Orthodox Coptic Christians, and the Catholics, who are broken up between Coptic Catholics and different rites: Coptic, Latin, Armenian , Melkite, Maronite, Syro-Catholic, etc., make up less than 1% of the population.Their bishops are gathered in the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy presided over by the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak.
