Pope Tawadros II praises deep ties between Egypt, Vatican

CAIRO - 8 July 2018: Pope Tawadros II, the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, appreciated the warm reception and gracious hospitality during his visit to Vatican City State.

Pope Tawadros II led on Sunday a Holy Mass at the church of Saint Paul Apostle in Rome, the second largest church in Rome, according to a press statement released by Bishop Theophilus, the Bishop of Turenyo.

This is Pope Tawadros’ second visit to Rome. He first visited the Italian capital to congratulate Pope Francis for being elected to lead the city.

In his sermon the church of Saint Paul Apostle, he praised the strong ties between Egypt and Vatican, as well as Italy, stressing that the three countries share deep relations and unique cultural and societal heritage.

In the same context, Pope Francis traveled on July 7 to the Italian city of Bari, south of the Adriatic, to pray for Christians in the Middle East with the heads and representatives of churches and Christian communities.

According to the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Cardinal, Leonardo Sandri, Pope Francis chose Bari for this ecumenical prayer because it is described as a "window to the East," where relics of St. Nicholas, venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox, are preserved.