Egypt's al-Sisi receives Catholic Pope Francis in Cairo

By Mahmoud Husseini

CAIRO (AA) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday met with Roman Catholic Pope Francis, who is currently on a two-day visit to the country.

According to reports on state television, al-Sisi received Francis at the presidential palace in eastern Cairo.

The pope’s visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the launch of diplomatic relations between Egypt and the Vatican.

It is the first visit to Egypt by Francis since he assumed the papacy in 2013 and his second visit to the Middle East after he visited Jordan and Palestine in 2014.

The visit comes in the wake of a deadly twin attack on two churches in northern Egypt in which 46 people were killed on April 9.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry has since stepped up security at churches countrywide and in areas that Pope Francis is expected to visit.