During the first papal visit to Egypt in the year 2000, Pope John Paul II addressed a gathering of Christians and Muslims. “We do not know each other sufficiently,” he said, “let us therefore find ways to meet.” Egyptians have, unfortunately, had to wait for almost two decades to meet the Successor of Peter again. On April 28 Pope Francis will touch down in Cairo for one of the most significant trips of his pontificate.
Papal visits are usually prepared months (if not years) in advance. This one is different: the trip was announced on Saturday, just weeks before it will take place. Why has the Vatican scrambled to arrange the journey? To answer that we need to consider who issued the invitation: the Coptic Catholic bishops, the Coptic Orthodox pope, the grand imam of al-Azhar and the Egyptian president.
