Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, has affirmed his support for Egypt s efforts to combat terrorism and achieve security and stability in the Middle East, Egypt s foreign minister said in a statement on Wednesday.
Pope Francis made the comments in Rome last Friday, as he received Egypt s new ambassador to the Vatican, Mahmoud Sami, the statement read.
Francis conveyed a message of greeting and appreciation to the Egyptian people and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi via the new ambassador.
During the meeting, Samy laid out Egypt s vision on regional and international issues, especially counter-terrorism and ways of addressing the root causes of the phenomenon.
The ambassador expressed Egypt s appreciation for the Vatican s pivotal role in spreading peace in the world, conveying El-Sisi s greetings and best regards to Francis.
Pope Francis paid a visit to Egypt in April, meeting with El-Sisi, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, and Al-Azhar s Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb. It was the first trip to Egypt by a Roman Catholic pope since Pope John Paul II s visit in 2000.
Francis and Tawadros signed a mutual declaration that their respective Churches would seek to acknowledge baptisms performed in the other s Church.
In October, Francis blessed an icon depicting the Holy Family s journey through Egypt, a move described by Egypt s Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed as “the crowning glory” in accrediting Egypt as an international Christian pilgrimage spot.
