Pope Shenouda III will meet with Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badei on Tuesday at the Cathedral of Saint Mark in Abbasseya, according to a source within the Coptic Church.
The meeting is intended to open a new chapter in relations between Copts and Muslims based on dialogue, said the source, although no agenda for discussion has been confirmed as yet.
It is thought that one of the key aims of Badie’s visit will be to ask after the Pope’s health, bearing in mind his recent return from the United States, where he underwent medical treatment.
Abdel Rahman al-Barr, a member of the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, earlier told Al-Masry Al-Youm that he didn’t know if Badie would be visiting the Pope alone or with a delegation.
“The Brotherhood has always wanted to communicate with society, including al-Azhar, the Church and the parties,” said Barr, adding that no group should imagine itself to be entirely independent.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
