Egypt prepares to welcome Pope

Pope Francis arrives in Egypt today for a short visit in which he hopes to foster inter-religious dialogue while addressing the issue of persecution of Christians across the Middle East.
The Pope will meet the President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and make a speech at Al-Azhar University, a leading academic centre of Sunni Islam.
This is the first Papal visit to Cairo in almost 20 years and comes at an urgent moment for Christians in Egypt.
Just three weeks ago, on Palm Sunday, so-called Islamic State said they were behind two bomb attacks on Coptic churches, that killed dozens of Christians and injuring more than a hundred.
Pope Francis, in a letter to the people of Egypt, said his visit was intended to comfort all Christians in the Middle East and to continue dialogue with the followers of Islam.
Several Catholic commentators have criticised the Pope's approach to Islam, saying he is naive and should demand more from the leaders of Muslim-majority countries where Christians are being persecuted.