Three weeks after the attacks to the Coptic minority, the head of the Catholic Church visits Cairo (Friday 28 and Saturday 29 April) as «Friend, Messenger of Peace and Pilgrim».
Egypt has warmly welcomed Pope Francis. The first day of the Pope’s visit was extremely dense. In fact, he met with President Sissi, with the imam of the al-Azhar mosque and with the Coptic-Orthodox Pope. He also delivered two speeches and participated in an ecumenical prayer.
Rejecting «all forms of hatred in the name of religion … as the idolatrous falsification of God», once again in Egypt, Pope Francis reaffirms that «only peace is holy» and «there is no violence that can be perpetrated in the name of God, because it would defile His Name».
The Pope immediately issued this invitation: «Together, let us repeat a strong and clear “no” to all forms of violence, vengeance and hatred committed in the name of religion or in the name of God. We will declare the sanctity of all human life in opposition to all forms of physical, social, educational or psychological violence».
Going further, Francis said, «religion, without a doubt, is not only called to unmask evil, but to work for peace».
