Pope in Egypt - Unplanned meeting with young people

Young Coptic Catholic group - image ACN

Source: VIS

There was an unscripted moment last night in Cairo when a group of young people gathered outsid the Apostolic Nunciature in Cairo, where Pope Francis was statying the night. After supper, the Holy Father went out on to a balcony to greet the young peoplle, saying: “Good evening to you all, I'm glad to find you!”

“I know you have come on pilgrimage,is it true? If it is true, it is because you are brave!”

He went on to say, “we will have the Mass in the stadium, all together, and we will pray together and sing together and celebrate together! But before retiring for the night, I would like to pray with you.”

Then Pope Francis prayed the Our Father with the young people, who recited the prayer in Arabic. “Now , I would like to give you the blessing, but before I do, each of you should think about the people about whom you care the most; think also of the people for whom you do not care, and in silence each of you pray for these people. For those whom you love and those you don’t love."

Then he gave the Apostolic Blessing to the young people and all the people they carried in that moment in their hearts. Pope Francis concluded with the words, “Long live Egypt!”