The people of Egypt see Pope Francis as a “man of peace who resists terror and extremism with great courage and wisdom,” according to a priest in the country. Jesuit Father Bimal Kerketta from India is the principal of a French school in Cairo, and has lived in the country for 14 years.

Kerketta said “Egypt is a land of peace,” and the Muslim population “prefers peace because so far violence has not brought any solution to any problem.”

Before taking charge of his current school, the priest was principal of an Arabic language school in Minya, in Upper Egypt.

He told Crux the people of the country are impressed the pontiff is coming to Egypt so soon after the terrorist attacks at two Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria on Palm Sunday, which killed dozens of people.

“People are still terrified and not secured, and they feel uneasy; and yet, he accepted this invitation and would like to go ahead,” the priest said.

“Pope Francis is a world leader who is known for his initiatives, especially in middle east countries that are troubled by civil war such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and neighbouring countries where there is unrest,” Kerketta said, “people look for peace, and they would like to have peace in their existence with each other, so in that way that is the expectation of the people.”

Christians make up about ten percent of the country’s 90 million people, and 90 percent of the Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church. The head of the Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, was targeted in the Palm Sunday attack in Alexandria, but was unharmed. The Catholics make up less than 200,000 people. The majority of them belong to the Catholic Coptic Church, although there are also Latin, Armenian, Maronite and Melkite Catholics in the country.

“Here, less people know about Catholicism, since they only know the Coptic Orthodox Church,” Kerketta said, “so it will be an eye opening for them.” Tawadros and Francis, joined by the spiritual head of the Orthodox communion Patriarch Bartholomew, will attend an International Peace Conference in Cairo hosted by Al Azhar University, the most prominent institution in Sunni Islam.

The Bible may be a source of wisdom for many Americans but most don’t read it for themselves, a new survey shows. More than half have read little or none of it, reports LifeWay Research. “Even among worship attendees less than half read the Bible daily,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of the evangelical research firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. “The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.”

“Among Americans: How much of the Bible have you personally read?” The survey of 1,000 people found disparate approaches to the Christian Scriptures. For instance, North-easterners are less likely to give it a look than people in other regions. And men are less inclined than women to pick it up.

One in five Americans have read the entire Bible at least once – including 9% who’ve read it through multiple times. Just over half (53%) have read relatively little of it, and 1 in 10 haven’t read it at all.

“Among Americans: Which of the following describe the Bible?”

Among those who read at least a few sentences of the Bible, slightly more than a fifth of Americans (22%) read a little Scripture each day, taking a systematic approach. About a quarter (27%) read parts others have suggested, and 16 % look up portions to help others. Almost one-fifth (19%) reread their favourite passages. Researchers found that Americans tend to view the Bible positively, with half (52%) saying it is a good source for morals. More than a third say it is helpful today (37%), true (36%) or life-changing (35%). And far fewer say it is outdated (14%), bigoted (8%) or harmful (7%).

French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen told the daily La Croix: “I am angry with the Church because I think it interferes with everything except what it should really be concerned with.”

Le Pen said that she has a “strong faith, and I am fortunate that I have never doubted it.” But she was blunt in her criticism of Pope Francis, particularly on the issue of immigration. She insisted that charitable activities should be the responsibilities of individuals, while states should pursue their national interests. When the Pope urges nations to accept immigrants without restrictions, she said, “this falls within the realm of politics and even interference.”

Le Pen said that if she is elected as president of France, she will “with great pleasure” invite Pope Francis to visit. “And I will tell him exactly what I have just told you,” she added.

Pollsters in France have consistently rated Le Pen as likely to emerge as a finalists in the presidential race. The first round of balloting will take place and unless one candidate wins a majority—a highly unlikely outcome—the two leading vote-getters will pair off for a final contest on May 7.

In her interview with La Croix, Le Pen took a strong stand for the French tradition of secularity in government and in public affairs generally. She argued that religious symbols such as the Islamic veil should not be allowed in public, explaining: “Secularism means that one can pass someone in the street without either one knowing what faith the other follows.”

When asked whether religious leaders have a right to enter into public debates, Le Pen replied: “I don’t get involved with what the Pope should say to his followers. I don’t think religious should tell the French people how to vote.” She complained that the French bishops’ conference—which has clearly signaled a distaste for Le Pen’s National Front—has also overstepped its proper bounds.

Russia’s Supreme Court formally banned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist organization and ordered the state to seize its property in Russia, according to Russian news media. The court, after six days of hearings, ordered the closing of the group’s Russia headquarters and its 395 local chapters on April 20.

The Interfax news agency quoted Justice Ministry attorney Svetlana Borisova in court as saying the Jehovah’s Witnesses pose a threat to Russians.
“They pose a threat to the rights of the citizens, public order and public security,” she told the court. Borisova also said the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ opposition to blood transfusions violates Russian health care laws.

“We are greatly disappointed by this development and deeply concerned about how this will affect our religious activity,” said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. “We will appeal this decision, and we hope that our legal rights and protections as a peaceful religious group will be fully restored as soon as possible.”

They trace their origins back to the age of the Apostles, yet still the Copts are treated as second-class citizens in their own county.

When Islamic State extremists attacked Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria on Palm Sunday, they struck at the historic heart of Egypt’s Christian community. The Coptic Patriarch, Pope Tawadros II, was leading a service inside when a suicide bomber was challenged at the church gates.

Forty-five people were killed in two separate attacks on Coptic churches that Sunday: one of the bloodiest days of violence against Christians in Egypt in decades. Earlier at St George’s church in the city of Tanta, 60 miles north of Cairo, at least 28 people died and another 80 were injured when another attacker slipped past security and blew himself up near the front pews of the church. The Patriarch later issued a statement declaring that “these acts will not harm the unity and cohesion of the people.”

Pope Francis has chosen not to travel in a bullet-proof vehicle for his first trip to Egypt this week, despite a recent spate of terrorist attacks targeting the country’s Christians.
The Pope will fly from Rome to Cairo on April 28 for a two-day visit intended to build on inter-faith dialogue with Muslim leaders and to show solidarity with beleaguered Christian communities in the Middle East.

Despite his vulnerability as a potential terrorist target, the Pope will not travel through the streets of Cairo in an armoured vehicle, the Vatican said. “The Pope will use a closed car to move around, but not an armoured one,” said Greg Burke, the Vatican spokesman. “That’s how he wanted it.”