Perspectives Weekly
Pope Francis to Visit Egypt
Friday, April 21, 2017 - Pope Francis is set to visit Cairo, Egypt on April 28-29. The invitation came from Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Roman Catholic Bishops, Tawadros II (leader of the Coptic Orthodox church of Alexandria) and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb (Grand Imam of Al Azhar mosque). The visit comes on the heels of deadly attacks on Christians celebrating Palm Sunday Mass. The coordinated bombings--carried out by ISIS--killed 45 people in two cities. In Cairo, Francis will address the International Peace Conference and visit with Tawadros II. He will celebrate a Mass and meet with the country's bishops the following day. What does Francis hope to accomplish in Egypt? What do the minority Christian communities expect from Francis? Is there a danger of another attack during the visit? Can Francis bring hope for peace in a country battling radical Islamists while struggling to build a stable democracy? Carl Hétu, Director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association in Canada, sits down with Sebastian Gomes to discuss the current political and social landscape while looking ahead to Francis' historic visit.pope