Coptic prelate joins Pope to bless weekly audience (Vatican News)

Pope Francis was joined by Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II at his regular weekly public audience on May 10, as the two prelates together blessed the crowd in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis set aside his regular catechetical address to talk about the visit by Pope Tawadros, who traveled to Rome to mark the 50th anniversary of a historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and the Coptic Pope Shenouda III. Pope Francis also recalled that Pope Tawadros had visited him exactly ten years ago, on May 10, shortly after his election to the papacy.

In his own remarks, the Coptic leader said that May 10 should be celebrated each year as a “Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship.”