Tawadros arrives in Australia

SYDNEY - 30 Aug 2017: Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Diocese arrived on Wednesday in Australia, the second leg of his papal tour which has already taken him to Japan.

Egyptian Ambassador to Australia Mohamed Khairat and members of the Egyptian embassy welcomed the pope upon arrival.

The pope's visit to Australia will continue until September 13.

During the visit, the pope will carry out several pastoral activities, lay down the foundation stone for a diocese in Sydney and inaugurate a number of services projects.

While in Japan, the pope opened the first Coptic church. He also met with a number of top Japanese officials, including the foreign minister and the mayor of Tokyo