Pope Francis I, who visits Egypt for the first time on Friday, sent a video message of goodwill to the Egyptian people on Tuesday in which he said he is “coming as a friend and as a messenger of peace”. He began his message by saying “al-salamu alaykum” (peace be with you) and continued: “With a heart full of joy and gratitude I will soon visit your beloved country, the cradle of civilisation, the gift of the Nile, the land of sun and hospitality, the land where patriarchs and prophets lived, and where God the Almighty made His voice heard.” “I would like this visit to be a witness of my affection, comfort and encouragement for all the Christians of the Middle East, a message of friendship and respect for all the inhabitants of Egypt and the region, and a message of brotherhood and reconciliation with all the children of Abraham, particularly the Muslim world, in which Egypt holds so important a place.” Egypt, the Roman Catholic pope noted, was the country that gave “refuge and hospitality to the Holy Family as they fled the threats of King Herod”. He ended, as he began, in Arabic: “Shukran wa Tahya Misr”.
