By Christ’s grace, we carried out a pastoral visit to four countries in Central Europe: Poland, Romania, Serbia, and the Czech Republic. These, together with Hungary (which we had visited previously in August 2023), form the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Central Europe, overseen by His Grace Bishop Giovanni. Our visit took place from April 25 to May 8, 2025, where we prayed the Divine Liturgy commemorating the martyrdom of Saint Mark the Evangelist at the final stop of our journey, in a church within a monastery borrowed from the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic.

Preparations for this visit began early this year, involving many communications and particular arrangements, especially since the Coptic presence in these countries is limited in number. His Grace Bishop Giovanni, together with his assisting priests, deacons, and archons exerted tremendous effort before and during the visit until it was completed peacefully. We traveled by airplane five times and by car on numerous occasions. Accompanying us on this visit were His Grace Bishop Fam of East Minya, His Grace Bishop Axios of Mansoura, the Director of the Papal Office Fr. Emmanuel El-Muharraqi, and Subdeacon Joseph Younan. Along with them, a media team that included Michael Victor from Egypt, Bishoy and George from Italy, and Bishoy Damian from Austria. Some bishops from Europe also joined us during parts of the visit.

This was the first visit of the Pope of Alexandria to these countries. Its aim was to introduce the Coptic Orthodox Church, the history and present of our homeland Egypt, and to explore what best serves the Church’s ministry and the pastoral care of our children, along with strengthening relations with the churches of these countries on the foundation of the love of Christ which compels us.

The itinerary of this intense visit spanned a number of different areas:

First: Ecclesiastical Meetings

We met, for the first time, with His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church at his residence in the capital, Bucharest, and with His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at the Church of Saint Sava. We also met with the Catholic Archbishop of Warsaw – Poland, and the Archbishop of the Czech Republic. All these meetings were marked with love and full appreciation for the Coptic Church, and they all expressed their willingness to support our emerging churches there.

Second: Official Meetings

Many meetings were arranged with heads of state, prime ministers, ministers, and various government officials. The President of Poland welcomed us warmly—he had visited us in Egypt in May 2022. We also had a scheduled meeting with the President of Serbia who had visited us in Egypt in July 2024, but due to health concerns he experienced then, the meeting was canceled. Additionally, we met with the Grand Mufti of Serbia and the head of the Islamic Council in Serbia.

Third: Pastoral Meetings

We officiated a Divine Liturgy in each country and met with our children living there. These were joyful and uplifting gatherings. We delivered sermons focused on the Resurrection and answered questions. We have a church built by Bishop Giovanni in Poland, and another that is part of a service complex in Romania, which began with the ordination of its priest Fr. Mina Takla. In Serbia and the Czech Republic, our churches are hosted by other churches in those countries.

Fourth: Diplomatic Meetings

In each of these countries, Egyptian ambassadors held official dinners to welcome us, in addition to dozens of ambassadors from different countries. We met with Arab, Orthodox, and many foreign ambassadors at various embassies. In appreciation of this hospitality, we presented an image of Egypt and its glorious history, and invited all present to visit Egypt.

Fifth: Visits to Religious Sites

Amid the beautiful green landscapes, we visited several churches in these countries. We visited monasteries and convents in Romania. In Serbia, we visited both new and historical churches. In the Czech Republic, we visited a monastery and prayed a Divine Liturgy there. We toured its vast library and learned about the great care given to it. We also visited a museum of collectibles and travel in Serbia, managed by a family across generations—it is a place of great intellectual wealth from around the world. We visited cathedrals that reflect the Christian history of these nations and the values and principles they preserve.

Sixth: Lectures

In Poland, at the College of Europe—a prestigious institution dedicated to studying the European continent politically, economically, and socially—we gave a lecture in English titled: “In the World but Not of the World”, addressing the Church’s role in the world. In the presidential palace of Serbia, we gave a lecture titled “Bridges of Love” amid a large official, diplomatic, and prestigious attendance. At the Saint Sava Theological College, we delivered a lecture on the human spiritual apparatus and answered students’ questions. The translation from Serbian to Arabic was done by Maria, secretary of the Egyptian ambassador in Serbia.

Seventh: Media and Television Interviews

In all four countries, we had numerous interviews—some with state television channels and others with Christian networks. The questions covered many areas. One of the most unusual questions was: “Will you change the calendar you currently use?” Naturally, my answer was a firm no.

Eighth: Meeting of the Bishops of Europe

We have in Europe fifteen dioceses overseen by fifteen bishops. Twelve attended, one was absent due to illness, and two have departed this world in recent years. We discussed the pastoral work in each diocese, and the fathers presented reports on their service and the challenges of ministry in Western countries. We agreed to hold a joint meeting of the bishops of Europe with those of North America next year, God willing. This meeting was held in our church in Romania and was a great source of joy for us.

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