CAIRO, June 19, 2018 (MENA) - Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark Diocese said Tuesday the Coptic Orthodox Church has been in Egypt since the 1st century AD. During a meeting with an Italian delegation of tourists visiting places related to the Holy Family route, the Pope said Christianity is fundamental in Egypt, referring to numerous antiquities including Coptic monasteries. The first monk in the world is St. Anthony who was Egyptian and the first monastery in the world is in Egypt near the Red Sea, he said. "We thank God that the route of the Holy Family has been guarded since the 1st Century AD by the Church and recently by the Egyptian government and the Ministry of Tourism," he said. He welcomed the guests saying "We welcome you today in Egypt and in our hearts. Let's remember the visit by Pope Francis last year when we met together in this hall. It was a visit full of blessings to all of Egypt. "Four years earlier I visited the Vatican and we are always in touch and pledged to pray for each other every night. We will meet again within a few weeks."
