This morning, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II headed to the Vatican.
His Holiness was received at Cairo International Airport by Mr. Mohamed Abbas, Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. Magdy Ishak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the port, and airport leaders.
H.H. is accompanied by a delegation from the Church which are: H.E. Metropolitan Pephnotious, Metropolitan of Samalout, H.E. Metropolitan Danial, Metropolitan of Maadi and Holy Synod Secretary, H.G. Bishop Yolios, General Bishop of Old Cairo and Bishop of Public, Ecumenical, Social Services, and Fr Kyrillos St. Bishoy, Director of the Office of His Holiness, and the journalist Michael Victor, the press attache of His Holiness; while joining the delegation from Italy are H.G. Bishop Bernaba, Bishop of Turin and Rome, H.G. Bishop Angaelos, Bishop of London, H.G. Bishop Kyrillos, General Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, and H.G. Bishop Antonio, Bishop of Milan.
It is noted that His Holiness Pope Tawadros is meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Vatican, during his visit to celebrate together the fifty years since the return of relations between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, after 15 centuries after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, and also to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the declaration of the Day of Brotherly Love called for by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II during his visit to the Vatican in 2013, the meeting, which represents a cornerstone in the journey of love, as His Holiness Pope Francis visited Egypt four years after this declaration.