His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, delivered a speech on Friday afternoon at the Europe Youth Conference held in Holland, speaking thus: “At first, I’d like to speak to you about Egypt, for it is a country of which those who study history and geography say is the result of a mingling between history and geography. Egypt is the only motherland blessed by the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother the Virgin St. Mary, and St. Joseph the Carpenter. His holiness asked the Coptic youth of Europe to recall Egypt ever and anon in their prayers.
In his speech, His Holiness mentioned the national projects adopted by the President, Abd Al-Fattah Al-Seesy, such as the Suez Canal Project, and the Development Project in the North Coast, the Dabaa Power Generation Project. He said: “God willing, Egypt will, during the next two or three years, be an economically promising nation, and the Church will host its youth from all over the world, and hold a conference soon in Egypt.”
During his visit, the governor of Kronika in Holland and her deputy welcomed His Holiness, offering him commemorative gifts, expressing Dutch heritage. On his part, His Holiness offered them an icon of St. Mark the Evangelist of the Egyptian land.