His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, and Patriarch of the see of Saint Mark, received on Monday at the papal in St. Mark Cathedral, Abbassiya, Gérard Larcher, president of the Senate of France and his accompanying delegation.
The delegation consists of five members of the Senate, including the head of the Egyptian-French Friendship Group Catherine Morin-Desailly and her deputy, Bernard Soji.
The Pope welcomed the delegation and praised the good relationship between Egypt and France, and spoke about the Coptic Church, and said that Christians and Muslims live in peace.
He added that the church extended to 60 countries around the world, and in Egypt monasticism originated through Saint Anthony and his monastery that exists till now, pointing out that the church and state institutions and the president are in a good relations of mutual understanding; stressing that Egypt is a land blessed by the visit of the Holy Family.
Senate President Gérard Larcher thanked Pope Twadros and said: that meeting him was important to them because him important religion role, and hopes that every one of us practice his liturgy freely.
He added, We’re very interested to strengthen relations between the Egyptian Parliament and the French Senate and we are proud of the good relations between the two countries since the election of President al-Sisi, and said that when I met with the presdent, I told him I am worried about the minorities in Egypt and his response was that we are all Egyptians.
The French delegation headed by President of the Council had arrived in Cairo on Sunday for a visit of three days.
