The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople was scheduled to attend a peace conference in Cairo today with Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University.
The Pope was due to meet Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, soon after, making a partial reunion between three leaders who trace their roots to apostolic times.
While Pope Francis is the successor of St Peter, the Orthodox ecumenical patriarchate traces its lineage to St Andrew, and the Coptic Orthodox Church has St Mark as its patron. The Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches are not in full communion with each other, although they have been working closely together and have been engaged in theological dialogue aimed at unity.
