His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, accompanied by his delegation, visited Archbishop Adrian Joseph Galbas, Archbishop of Warsaw for the Catholic Church, at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in the Polish capital, Warsaw.
Archbishop Galbas led His Holiness and the accompanying delegation on a tour inside the basilica, one of Warsaw’s most historic churches, founded in the 19th century. The tour included a visit to the crypts beneath the basilica, where the tombs of former archbishops and church leaders are located.
Following the tour, the delegation moved to the Archbishop’s residence adjacent to the cathedral. There, Archbishop Galbas warmly welcomed His Holiness, expressing his happiness at the visit and emphasizing that the Christian message to the world is primarily about preserving values and fostering knowledge of God.
In response, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and spoke about the importance of exchanging experiences between churches as a means to promote closer ties and deepen theological dialogue. His Holiness offered a brief overview of the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church, founded by St. Mark the Apostle in AD 68, describing it as a church built on true love between shepherd and flock, between bishop, priest, and people. He explained that it is a tradition in the Coptic Church for priests to live among their congregations, closely sharing in their joys and sorrows, embodying the life of Christ the Good Shepherd.
Pope Tawadros also highlighted one of the pillars of Christian education in Egypt — the Sunday School movement — which aims to plant the seeds of Christian faith in the hearts of children and youth.
He praised the recent efforts by the Egyptian state to create pre-marital education programs, similar to those offered by the Church. His Holiness also outlined various church ministries, saying:
“We offer services tailored to different sectors of society: youth programs, preparatory meetings for marriage, and gatherings for workers, women, doctors, and lawyers. We strive to be close to the needs of every social group.”
H.H. Pope Tawadros emphasized that the Coptic Church does not limit itself to spiritual care but is also deeply committed to social and humanitarian services.
Speaking about major religious celebrations, His Holiness noted:
“During the feasts of saints, such as the Feast of the Virgin Mary, St. George, and St. Demiana, millions of faithful gather together to celebrate, their hearts rekindled with the spirit of holiness and hope. At the Monastery of St. Demiana, more than 300 nuns and consecrated sisters serve the community with love and humility.”
His Holiness also touched on the situation of the Church within Egyptian society, noting the strong and positive relationships between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, and with all state institutions including Al-Azhar, the presidency, parliament, and other Christian denominations.
“We believe that love never fails; it alone can unlock hearts and lead to true peace,” he said.
Pope Tawadros pointed out that the situation of Christians in Egypt has significantly improved, recounting:
“When over a hundred churches and service buildings were attacked in 2013 at the beginning of my papacy, a single word from the Lord preserved peace. I told my people: ‘A homeland without churches is better than churches without a homeland.’ God heard our prayers, and the Egyptian government rebuilt all the damaged churches, even better than before.”
Concluding his remarks, His Holiness said:
“We thank God for this blessed visit and renew our love and gratitude to all of you. We hope you will visit us soon in Egypt, where you will find open hearts, churches, and monasteries radiant with the light of love.”
At the end of the meeting, Pope Tawadros II and Archbishop Galbas exchanged commemorative gifts.
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