Pope Tawadros starts Austria visit

VIENNA - 10 July 2018: Pope Tawadros of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark arrived Tuesday on a visit to Austria after visiting Italy and the Vatican.

The pontiff was welcomed upon arrival by Egyptian Ambassador to Austria Omar Amer and the embassy staff, in addition to some Austrian officials and Copts living in the European country.

Spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church Boulis Halim said in a press statement the pope attended a ceremony at Saint Antonios monastery in Vienna to present a book written by Austrian researcher Adolf Bayer.

During his visit to Italy, Pope Tawadros met Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the presidential palace and led on Sunday a mass at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul in Rome.