EGYPT: POPE JOHN PAUL II ARRIVES IN CAIRO (2)

English/Nat

Pope John Paul II praised Egypt as a cradle of learning, religion and unity as he started a pilgrimage to retrace some of the most epic passages from the Bible.

The trip is also an opportunity to promote closer dialogue with Muslims and to try to overcome old rifts between Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

The Pope and Mubarak held a private meeting in an airport reception room, then made brief remarks on television.

Mubarak welcomed the pope to "a land that prides itself for being the cradle of civilization and a hospitable safe haven for all messengers of God."

He denounced all forms of discrimination.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The Egyptian people stand together united their submission to the will of God and inspired by the spirit of both Christianity and Islam. They live faithful to both the teaching of the Bible and the Koran. The latter exalted Royal believers to submit to the word f God as revealed to them through all his prophets without any distinction or exclusion. This was a theme which was repeated in many versed of Koran."
SUPER CAPTION: President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt

John Paul, making his first visit to Egypt and the 90th foreign trip of his 22-year papacy, insists his agenda is "purely religious, not political."

But all gestures by the 79-year-old pontiff have the potential to reverberate through the volatile mix
of beliefs across the Middle East.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Peace be upon you (upsot clapping) For many years I have been looking forward to celebrating the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ by visiting and praying at the places specially linked to God's intervention in history. Thank you, Mr. President for making it possible for me to come here and go to where God revealed his name to Moses and gave his law as a sign of his great mercy and kindness to us, his creatures."
SUPER CAPTION: Pope John Paul II

The Pope plans to hold a Mass in Cairo.

He also will meet with Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III and Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, one of the most influential Muslim clerics in Egypt.

Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in predominantly Muslim Egypt, making up an estimated 10 percent of the 64 million population.

Clashes in January between Muslims and Copts in southern Egypt left 23 people dead.

The pope could use his influence to press for reconciliation.


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