At 10.00am Cairo local time, Pope Francis is schedulled to celebrate Mass in a military stadium in Maadi on Saturday, the last event in a two-day visit to Egypt, where he has called for leaders of all faiths to reject religious violence and denounce intolerance. Military Humvees patrolled largely deserted streets in the Egyptian capital on Friday, although the pope himself declined the use of an armoured limousine, preferring instead to travel in a simple, blue Fiat car. After the Mass, the pope will have lunch with Egyptian bishops and give a speech to local seminaries before heading back to Italy in the late afternoon. The 2,000-year-old faith is facing the worst persecution of its history in Egypt, with Islamic State militants threatening to wipe out local Christians and attacking their churches. The campaign of violence has undermined Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who appealed for more international cooperation when he met Francis on Friday.

Source: Egypt Independent April 29, 2017 08:37 UTC