A mass took place in the Vatican on Wednesday, to mark the 800th anniversary of St Francis’ visit to Egypt back in 1219, Ansa reported on Wednesday. The pilgrimage route in Egypt includes 25 sites, from Sinai in the east to Assiut in the south. St Francis accompanied the armies of western Europe to Damietta and tried to stop the Crusaders from attacking the Muslims at the Battle of Damietta, according to contemporary accounts. During his stay in Egypt, Francis remained with al-Kamil and his Sufi teacher Fakhr ad-din al-Farisi for about three weeks, discussing prayer and the mystical life, after an initial attempt to convert each other. Rashed’s visit to the Vatican comes amid a government drive to boost the terrorism-hit tourism industry in Egypt, which will become a destination for pilgrimages starting in 2018.

Source: Egypt Independent October 04, 2017 12:00 UTC