President of the Republic Katalin Novák emphasized the importance of peace on Tuesday in Cairo II. Tavadros for Coptic Pope. In addition to Pope Francis, the head of state also asks the Coptic Pope to do everything for peace as soon as possible.
Katalin Novák added: she will hold a meeting with Pope Francis in Dubai on Saturday after speaking at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).
The war is also raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, he pointed out, adding that the current war in Israel and the Gaza Strip also highlights the tensions that differences between different religions can lead to.
Hungarians are a peace-loving people, so we will do everything we can to ensure that there is peace in Ukraine and the Middle East as soon as possible, he emphasized.
Katalin Novák emphasized: we are proud of the fact that our state was founded on Christian foundations a thousand years ago, and that Christianity and Christian culture still determine our everyday life and holidays.
The whole of Europe is held together by Christianity, and when we talk about the need for diversity in Europe, this must be understood within Christianity, he emphasized.
He added: Europe is quite colorful simply because the European peoples are different. Our history, customs, culture, and language are different, but our common roots and our common Christian culture connect us, he pointed out.
In Egypt, we can also admire and experience what it's like when Muslims and Christians can live side by side in peace, Katalin Novák said, adding that she wishes they could preserve all of this.
He also said: he appreciates that II. Coptic Pope Tavadrosz does a lot to promote Christian and Muslim dialogue and coexistence.
Emphasizing the importance of families, he emphasized: Egypt is ten times larger than Hungary in size and population. In Egypt, an average of three children is born in one family, while in Hungary there are not even two. As he said, he wants to understand how Hungarian youth can be encouraged to have children and start a family.
Speaking about helping persecuted Christians, he emphasized: In Hungary, we all feel responsible for our Christian brothers and sisters, no matter where they live in the world.
We have also helped the Coptic Christians many times in the past and they can always count on us in the future - stressed Katalin Novák.
Regarding the President of the Republic's visit to Egypt, he recalled that he was able to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi personally for the first time, and the face-to-face meeting lasted much longer than planned. All of this can be traced back to the fact that both Hungarians and Egyptians treat each other with respect, they respect the other's culture and differences, but they also find similarities.
Katalin Novák also met two Egyptian Coptic women who were seriously injured in the terrorist attack in Cairo on December 11, 2016, at the site of the attack, in St. Mark's Church.
The two injured women thanked the Hungarians for their care and assistance, which they experienced during their rehabilitation in Budapest.
After that, Katalin Novák traveled to Giza on a Hungarian-made train set made at the Dunakesz Járművávíto.
MTI
Cover photo: President of the Republic Katalin Novák prays for the victims of the 2016 suicide bombing committed in the name of ISIS, next to him II.
Coptic Pope Tavadrosz (l), behind him is István Veres, husband of Katalin Novák, at the St. Mark's Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, in the chapel erected in memory of the victims on November 28, 2023. Source: MTI/Noémi Bruzák
