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The image of Pope Francis is projected on a giant screen during the Angelus prayer that he uttered from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday 4 November 2018.
The image of Pope Francis is projected on a giant screen during the Angelus prayer that he uttered from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday 4 November 2018.
Photo: Gregorio Borgia, AP
The image of Pope Francis is projected on a giant screen during the Angelus prayer that he uttered from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday 4 November 2018.
The image of Pope Francis is projected on a giant screen during the Angelus prayer that he uttered from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday 4 November 2018.
Photo: Gregorio Borgia, AP
VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has decried the attack against pilgrims in Egypt, claiming that they had been killed "to be Christians".
Francis invited the faithful present Sunday in St. Peter's Square to pray with him for the seven dead while they were heading for an Orthodox Coptic monastery.
Christians represent about 10% of the Egyptian population and have long complained of discrimination.
Francis expressed his "sorrow for the terrorist attack that struck the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt two days ago".
He said that he prayed for "pilgrims killed for the simple act of being a Christian", asking that those in mourning be comforted.
In 2017, an attack on the same monastery killed 29 people.
On Sunday, Egypt said the security forces had killed 19 militants during a shootout, including gunmen suspected of Friday 's attack.
