His Holiness Pope Tawadros II Receives a Delegation of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in France: Agreement to Continue Praying for Gaza
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, received at the Papal Residence in Cairo, on Friday 12 April 2024, His Eminence Monsignor Eric de Moulin Beaufort, Archbishop of Reims, and his accompanying delegation, who are currently visiting Egypt on a religious pilgrimage.
The delegation of the Bishops of the Catholic Church consisted of His Eminence Monsignor Laurent Ulric, Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor Mathieu Rogier, Bishop of Nantera, and His Eminence Monsignor Pascal Gollenich, President of the Le Vivier Dorint Foundation.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II welcomed the delegation of bishops and gave them an overview of the history of Egypt and the Coptic Orthodox Church, commending the strong relations between the Church, His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian government, Parliament, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and all pillars of the state.
His Holiness also commended the church’s relationship with all other churches and the Council of Churches of Egypt.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II invited them to visit the Coptic monasteries, some of which date back to the fourth century AD, calling on them to learn about Orthodox monastic life, especially since the founder of monasticism in the world was the monk Anthony, also known as the Father of Monks, and the first monastery was established in Egypt, named after St. Anthony.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II pointed out the importance of building relationships of love in Christ with all churches, citing the words of Saint Paul the Apostle:
”For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;“
(II Corinthians 5:14)
For their part, the delegation of Bishops expressed the good relationship that links them with the Coptic Church in France, and that the Catholic Churches are keen to open their doors to Copts in France to hold their prayers there.
The guests also stressed their great appreciation and pride in the Coptic Orthodox Church and its ancient history, and the bonds of love that connect the two churches.
There was a discussion about the situation in the Gaza Strip, and the attendees agreed on the necessity of continuing to pray for our brothers there…
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This news was originally published on the website of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Please click here to read the full text.