By the grace of Christ, we visited four European countries, each having its own special character, including two countries that I visited for the first time, during the period from April 25 to May 13, 2026. Each visit had a purpose different from the others.
The first stop was in Turkey (Istanbul = ancient Constantinople) from April 25–27, 2026, where it was a visit of love to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. It was the first meeting on the land of the See of Constantinople, which was evangelized by the St. Andrew Apostle, although we had met several times before in Milan, Vienna, and Cairo. The purpose of the visit was to give a strong push to the dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, which together form the two branches of the Orthodox family worldwide. It was also an opportunity to attend a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal headquarters and spiritual sessions between the two delegations, while emphasizing the necessity of continuous communication among all these churches and overcoming certain obstacles that hinder the steps toward Orthodox unity. It is worth mentioning that we successfully held a gathering for representatives of Orthodox Churches worldwide under the hospitality of the Coptic Church in Egypt in September 2024, and it was a fruitful and dynamic meeting.
During the visit to Turkey, we met with the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch at the Patriarchal headquarters, where we exchanged words, prayers, gifts, and commemorative photographs. Likewise, we visited the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church, who welcomed us with overflowing love. It was an opportunity to greet the people gathered in the church, and we shared the agape meal together.
We also met with our Copts there (around 300 youth and a few families). I spoke with them in a spiritual talk, asked about their conditions, and distributed some gifts and photographs with them.
At the conclusion of the visit, His Excellency the Ambassador and the Consul hosted us at the Egyptian Consulate in Istanbul, a magnificent headquarters, and it was a purely Egyptian gathering.
The second stop was in Austria, in the capital city of Vienna, from April 28 to May 4, 2026. The visit began with a spiritual session with the monks of Saint Antony Monastery in Vienna, sharing the agape meal together and answering some of their questions. Then we visited the Egyptian Embassy and attended a celebration in the presence of several ambassadors and representatives of various institutions, where speeches were delivered expressing Egypt as the warm homeland that unites us.
From May 1–3, 2026, a conference for Coptic youth in Austria and several Coptic dioceses was held, attended by more than 300 young men and women, under the title “Salt and Light.” A number of venerable bishops and reverend priests delivered many lectures alongside workshops. I gave the opening lecture, and the conference concluded with a spiritual event that included hymn and praise presentations in beautiful voices, followed by a theatrical performance full of youthful vitality and an enjoyable presentation that received prolonged applause from the attendees. The gathering concluded with an open dialogue during which I answered many diverse questions from the youth.
At the end of the visit, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Church of the Victorious Virgin, which had been gifted by the Catholic Church in Austria ten years ago. The Cardinal of Austria attended this occasion, as more than 150 years had passed since the construction of this beautiful church.
The third stop was in the city of Venice, Italy, where there is a Coptic cathedral bearing the name of Saint Mark the Apostle. There we began the first conference for the dioceses of the Coptic Church abroad from America, Europe, and Australia. Most of the metropolitans and bishops attended, while a few apologized, mostly due to health conditions. Also attending were members of the Secretariat of the Holy Synod, including metropolitans, bishops, and priests. For the first time in the history of our Church, this conference was held on the occasion of nearly 75 years since the beginning of Coptic emigration outside Egypt. The conference was held over the course of three days in the form of six workshops and discussions regarding the reality outside Egypt, and the most important current challenges, while outlining a vision for the Church extending to the year 2050. The opportunity was available for interaction and discussion of many practical experiences, especially since the assembled metropolitans and bishops represented a span of nearly forty years between the most senior and the newest among them. Later on, we shall issue a comprehensive report concerning the vision for the Church’s ministry abroad through the year 2050. The conference concluded with Vespers Raising of Incense together with the Copts in Venice, followed by the Divine Liturgy the next day, May 8th, the commemoration of the martyrdom of Saint Mark (30 Baramudah). It was the first time that thirty Coptic metropolitans and bishops prayed together in the Coptic Cathedral in Venice. Also attending were the assembly of priests of the Diocese of Milan together with their wives and dozens of Coptic families there. It was truly a historic day, and there was an opportunity for a spiritual gathering with the priests of Milan and then with their wives, along with the distribution of gifts and the taking of commemorative photographs.
On Saturday, May 9th, we prayed the Divine Liturgy in the Basilica of Saint Mark in the floating city of Venice, over the tomb of Saint Mark the Apostle, in the presence of many believers. It was the first time for most of the metropolitans and bishops to pray together in this holy place. After that, we visited the Patriarch of Venice in a visit of love, where we exchanged spiritual words, valuable gifts, and commemorative photographs.
The conclusion of these visits was our arrival in Croatia by car, approximately four hundred kilometers from Venice, passing through Slovenia and then into Croatia, where we were received by the Egyptian Ambassador, Mrs. Rania El-Banna, together with representatives of the Croatian protocol office. We began our visit the following day, Sunday, May 10th, 2026, with the Divine Liturgy in a church borrowed from the Greek Catholic Church, attended by more than 500 young men working and residing legally in Croatia, most of whom work in the construction industry. The Ambassador and an advisor to the Croatian President attended the Liturgy, and I distributed commemorative gifts and photographs to all those present.
Then I conducted a television interview with Novo TV. Later in the afternoon, there was a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the ministry headquarters, attended by the Coptic delegation together with the Ambassador. In the evening, we visited the Egyptian Embassy and shared dinner in the presence of several Arab and foreign ambassadors. The opportunity was available for various conversations, especially concerning Egypt, the Church of Egypt, and visiting the landmarks of Egypt.
On the following day, there were several press interviews along with meetings with Croatian officials, including the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Mufti of Croatia. The day concluded with an appearance on one of the most famous talk shows on national television, featuring a long and diverse dialogue with one of the most well-known broadcasters, Romano Bolković, and it was aired the following day (Tuesday, May 12th, 2026).
As for the final day of the visit, it included a meeting with the Catholic Archbishop in Croatia, together with one of the bishops and the senior priest of the cathedral, which is currently being restored after the earthquake that struck the country in 2020. We toured the cathedral corridors with him, where the body of the bishop who stood against the communist regime and was killed. After that, amid stormy and rainy weather, we headed to the presidential headquarters where President Zoran officially received us. There was an astonishing surprise: some archaeological artifacts discovered about 40 kilometers from the capital Zagreb, including Coptic pottery, a marble fragment bearing the name of Saint Mina, pieces of woven fabric, a bronze basin, and bronze water vessels. Our amazement at these exhibits was great, as they told us that our presence marked the opening of this exhibition for only one hour, after which it was closed.
The meeting with the President was cordial, as he inquired about the Church and its history. He also expressed his admiration for the Egyptian President when he met him at the opening of the Grand Museum and spent three continuous hours with him.
We thank God that this journey consisted of visits of love, pastoral care, communication, and affirmation of the good relations that connect our Church with all Christian churches throughout the world. This demonstrates the strong ecumenical role of the Church and the attempts toward rapprochement and mutual understanding through a new perspective, far from the issues of the past that have cause schisms and further separations. Thus, the enemy of all goodness seeks to divide and fracture the Church of Christ despite Christ’s continual call in the Holy Scripture: “that they all may be one” (John 17:21).
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