Egypt's Coptic leader Pope Shenouda III may not agree with Coptic youth on selecting a presidential candidate, informed church sources said on Sunday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they added that Shenouda may support outgoing Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, while priests and young Copts are likely to nominate former chief of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei.
Sources said the Pope and Moussa have had a strong relationship since the time the latter was foreign minister.
They added that Shenouda seemed satisfied by a meeting with Moussa on Thursday at the Orthodox Cathedral in Abbasseya. They discussed issues including the Constitution, political parties and the military rulers.
State-run news agency MENA reported on Thursday that the Pope thanked Moussa for the visit and wished him good luck with the elections.
"I hope Egyptians' choice of presidential candidates will be governed by logic," the Pope added, expressing hope for democracy and development.
