On Tuesday, Egyptian Coptic Catholics gathered at the Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Catholic Cathedral in Cairo to hold a prayer service in memory of the late Pope Francis.
Worshippers reflected on the values he embodied and his commitment to fostering global peace. Anba Basilius, the Metropolitan of Minya, remarked, ‘While the Pope may have departed physically, we believe that those who champion ideas ensure that those ideas endure.’
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, was beloved for his humble demeanor and dedication to the impoverished, yet his critiques of capitalism and climate change alienated some conservatives.
He passed away on Monday at the age of 88, having made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, where he blessed thousands in St. Peter’s Square, receiving enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Other churches and denominations in the region have also expressed their sorrow over his passing, with Egypt’s Al-Azhar, one of the oldest Sunni Islamic institutions, extending condolences to the Vatican.
The Coptic Catholic Church, part of the Catholic Eastern Churches, is headquartered in Cairo, where Egypt has seven dioceses of the church, and an estimated 15 million Egyptians identify as Copts, according to Pope Tawadros II, the leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church.
