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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 March 2000 Issue No. 471 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 March 2000 Issue No. 471
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Interview Features Focus Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters United crimson
The number of Catholics in this country is very small compared to the number of Orthodox Copts, but the visit of Pope John Paul II was not intended solely for the benefit of his Egyptian flock. Rather, it recognised Egypt's importance for the Christian community as a whole. It was here, after all, that the Holy Family sought refuge from Herod when he was massacring all the male children in Palestine. Jesus, Mary and Joseph left Egypt only after Herod's death; had this country's people not offered them protection for three years, there would be no such thing as Christianity today. This is why the Pope described his visit as a pilgrimage, which he had been anticipating for long years.
John Paul II is the first Catholic pope to have made an official visit to Egypt. I only wish he had been able to stay longer, and visit some of the sites where the Holy Family stopped to rest. They are beautiful spots, which I know well; I visited them often as a boy. My mother took me to churches and monasteries as well as mosques and the shrines of revered Muslims.
One of the things that pleased me most about the Pope's visit was the great hospitality people showed him. Muslims attended the mass he gave, side by side with their Christian compatriots. My late friend, Ibrahim Pasha Farag, was always angry when people referred to Christians and Muslims in Egypt as forming two separate groups. "We are all one," he used to say. I was reminded of him when I saw my people come out to greet the Pope.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
