Amid heavy security, Christian leader is going to meet Prez Sisi, the 'other' pope and Sunni imam
Pope Francis greets a guard before boarding a plane to Egypt
Cairo: Pope Francis landed in Egypt's capital yesterday for a historic two-day visit aimed at presenting a united Christian-Muslim front to repudiate violence in God's name.
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Three weeks after Islamic militants staged deadly twin Palm Sunday church attacks in Egypt, Francis arrived in Cairo for a series of deeply symbolic encounters with top religious and political leaders and to participate in an international peace conference.
He will meet first with Egypt's president and the Christian patriarch the "other" pope, Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church and pray for victims of the attacks at the very site of the attacks.
Most importantly, he will also visit Al-Azhar, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of learning in Sunni Islam. There, he will meet privately with grand imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, and participate in an international peace conference on Friday afternoon.
"The fundamental issue is education, and educating those of different religious beliefs and especially the young, to have great respect for those of other faiths," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, adding, "The question of language is fundamental: when you use a violent language, there is the danger that it can result in violent acts."
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