Cairo – Members of Egypt’s Coptic Catholic community gathered Tuesday at the Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Catholic Cathedral in Cairo to honour the memory of Pope Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88.
The prayer service was attended by clergy and lay worshippers who reflected on the late pontiff’s legacy of compassion, humility, and his pursuit of global peace.
“We believe that the Pope’s departure is physical, but those who carry meaningful ideas live on. Ideas never die,” said Anba Basilius, Metropolitan of Minya.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was widely admired for his modest demeanor and strong advocacy for the poor.
However, he also drew criticism from some conservative circles for his outspoken views on economic inequality and environmental issues.
His final public appearance was on Easter Sunday, where he addressed and blessed thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square, receiving warm applause from the crowd.
Mourning has extended beyond the Catholic Church. Egypt’s Al-Azhar, one of the most influential Sunni Islamic institutions, expressed its condolences to the Vatican.
Other Christian denominations across the region have also joined in remembering the late pope.
The Coptic Catholic Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Vatican, is headquartered in Cairo. Egypt is home to seven dioceses of the church. The broader Coptic Christian population in Egypt is estimated at around 15 million, according to Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Pope Tawadros II.
