His Holiness Pope Tawadros II arrived today at “Nikola Tesla” Airport in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, coming from Romania, marking the third stop in his pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe.
He was received by Ambassador Basel Salah, Egypt’s Ambassador to Serbia, Military Attaché Colonel Ali Taher, Deputy Ambassador Counselor Ibrahim Hamza, and members of the Egyptian Embassy staff.
Also welcoming His Holiness was Mr. Saša Mijatović, Assistant Director of the Office for Religious Affairs at the Directorate for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities under the Serbian Ministry of Justice.
His Holiness began his tour in the Diocese of Central Europe with a visit to Poland on April 25, where he celebrated the Divine Liturgy for “Thomas Sunday” at the Church of the Martyrs St. John the Baptist and Philopater Mercurius (Abu Sefein) in the capital, Warsaw. He met members of the Coptic and Ethiopian communities, delivered a historical lecture at the College of Europe, was received by Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace, visited the Archbishop of Warsaw of the Catholic Church, and attended an official reception hosted by the Egyptian Embassy in Warsaw in his honor.
In the second leg of his tour in Romania, His Holiness met members of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Bucharest and visited the Romanian Patriarchate, where he was welcomed by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He also consecrated the newly built Church of the Martyr St. Mina. His Holiness was bid farewell at the airport by Ambassador Moayad Eldelaie, Egypt’s Ambassador to Romania, Father Mina Takla, priest of the Coptic Church in Romania, along with members of the Egyptian Embassy and local Coptic parishioners.
His Holiness is scheduled to continue his visit in Serbia over the coming days, where he will meet members of the Coptic community living there and participate in various spiritual and official meetings, carrying with him messages of love and spiritual fatherhood to all his children in the diaspora.
Accompanying His Holiness on his pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe are: His Grace Bishop Giovanni, Bishop of Central Europe; Their Graces Bishop Fam, Bishop of East Minya, and Bishop Axios, Bishop of Mansoura; Monk Father Emmanuel El-Muharraqi, Director of the Pope’s Office; Deacon Joseph Reda from the Pope’s Secretariat; Journalist Michael Victor, Media Attaché for the visit; and Deacon Bishoy Gerges from the Pope’s Media Office.
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