His Holiness Pope Tawadros II received at the Papal Residence in Cairo this morning a number of bishops of the church, priests, members of church councils, service secretaries, servants and the people, who came to congratulate His Holiness on the Feast of Nativity, which the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates today, Sunday.
His Holiness the Pope spoke told them about His Excellency President El Sisi’s visit yesterday to the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in the Administrative Capital, noting that it is the tenth year of the President’s congratulations on the feast.
Regarding the president’s visit and congratulating him on the holidays, His Holiness said: “It is a visit, although it is short, but it has a strong and beautiful impact and causes joy for the people and all Egyptians.”

H.H. added: “We thank God because His gifts are new and the synergy between Egyptians has a positive impact on Egypt’s image in front of the world, while unfortunately there are divisions and conflicts in the countries of the world. Indeed, Egypt is in God’s hand and heart, and it is like a box guarded by the eye of God. We thank God.”

Regarding the economic crises, His Holiness the Pope said: “We will get through them like any crisis, with peace, good relations, love, openness to others, loyalty and honesty.”

His Holiness pointed out that there is currently a change and a positive vision in building the state, and that the state is being built with the help of its children and their ideas, because it is good to look to the future with breadth of thought, as happened in the Christmas story when the owner of the manger suggested hosting Joseph the carpenter and the Virgin Mary in the manger, which is an idea of positive creativity, as happened with the paralytic man hanging from the ceiling, and so the creative idea is simple but provides a solution to a big problem, and this is what we need in our service and building our society.”

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