His Holiness Pope Tawadros II met this afternoon with Mr. Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czechia, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in the capital, Prague. This meeting came as part of His Holiness’s pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe, which included visits to Poland, Romania, and Serbia before arriving in the Czechia last night—the fourth stop of the tour.
The meeting was attended by the Egyptian Ambassador to Prague, H.E. Mahmoud Mostafa Afifi, and Counselor Dr. Ahmed Azzam, in addition to the papal delegation accompanying His Holiness.
The Czech Foreign Minister expressed his delight at the visit of Pope Tawadros, considering dialogue and culture among the most important tools for strengthening international relations. He also welcomed any future cooperation between religious institutions.
For his part, His Holiness expressed his happiness at visiting Czechia, pointing to the remarkable harmony that characterizes Egyptian society. He explained that Copts are not regarded as a minority in Egypt, but as sons and daughters of the land, a land blessed by the Holy Family, which stayed there for three years and six months—a unique event that makes Egypt a sacred land in Christian history.
His Holiness also noted the significant improvement in the situation of Christians in Egypt, particularly after the 2013 revolution, during which the state initiated the construction of the largest cathedral in the Middle East in the New Administrative Capital, alongside the largest mosque—both inaugurated on the same day in a powerful message affirming that all Egyptians are one people.
Pope Tawadros also spoke about the global spread of the Coptic Orthodox Church, highlighting the presence of more than 500 churches and monasteries outside Egypt, in addition to emerging communities in Central European countries such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and the Czech Republic, all under the pastoral care of Bishop Giovanni. He emphasized the importance of visiting these small communities to encourage them.
He also shared about the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church and how the idea of monasticism spread from Egypt to the entire world.
At the conclusion of the meeting, His Holiness invited the Foreign Minister to visit Egypt to experience its rich civilization and Coptic heritage firsthand.
The Foreign Minister expressed his eagerness to visit Egypt in the near future, saying that what he heard from the Pope about Coptic history and Egyptian civilization stirred his curiosity to learn more. He expressed his hope for continued communication and cooperation, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and openness as a bridge to peace and understanding.
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