Joyful stadium crowd greets Pope Francis on Day 2 of his Egypt trip
Elated crowds greeted Pope Francis at a Mass in Cairo’s Air Defense Stadium on Saturday, unafraid despite recent suicide bombings at Christian churches.
“God will protect us,” said Nada Youssef, 30, as she clutched the free ticket she received through her church and waited to clear metal detectors and guards stationed at every entrance.
Francis entered the stadium at 9:30 a.m. to applause as a fleet of balloons in the Vatican colors of yellow and white was released and a choir sang “Gloria.”
Some who came to pray Saturday recalled the last time they saw a pope celebrate Mass here — Pope John Paul II — 17 years ago. Some said they brought their children born since then so they too could see the pope.
Soldiers patroled outside and military helicopters circled overhead, but the mood remained festive, with inflated hot air balloons lining the road and music filling the air.
“Even without entering, by the sound of the music you can feel the joy,” said Father Raymond Tumba, a Nigerian priest studying Arabic in Cairo, as he entered the stadium. “Wherever he goes, he spreads the message of peace.”
James Bolden, 32, wore a Pope Francis cap and scarf with the “Pope of peace in Egypt of peace” logos from the visit, hoping to get them blessed during Mass. A refugee from South Sudan who teaches fellow refugees at a Catholic school in Cairo, he called Francis “the pope of refugees.”
“He supports peace so conflicts don’t happen that create refugees,” Bolden said.
Fawzaya Alban, 42, and other women from South Sudan living in Cairo wore white clothing printed with the images of popes and priests, hoping for a blessing during Mass and grateful that Francis was brave enough to visit.
“He visits all countries with suffering, countries with problems,” she said.
Maria Cormack said the pope set an example by standing up to extremists.
“It’s showing us the courage we need to stand against people trying to make us afraid,” she said.
Cormack, 42, moved to Cairo 11 years ago and brought a sign to Mass for her troubled native land: “Pray for Venezuela.”
“I feel safer here than in Venezuela now,” she said.
Pope Francis waved to the crowds as he circled the stadium grounds in a golf cart. Some nuns held “Pope of Peace” signs, while other onlookers waved Vatican and Egyptian flags. A massive Egyptian flag was draped over one side of the stadium.
Francis began his remarks at the Mass as he did when addressing another crowd Saturday, with a traditional Arabic greeting that again provoked instant applause: “”Peace be with you.”
During the Mass, Francis urged the faithful to transcend their divisions. “Unless we tear apart the veil clouding our vision and shatter the hardness of our hearts and our prejudices, we will never be able to recognize the face of God,” he said.
“God is pleased only by a faith that is proclaimed by our lives, for the only fanaticism believers can have is that of charity. Any other fanaticism does not come from God and is not pleasing to him,” Francis said.
Francis has been warmly received since he arrived Friday for a two-day visit to Egypt. Many people said they admired his tenacity in visiting only weeks after twin suicide bombings targeted Christian churches in separate cities, killing 47 people.
During his visit, Francis has managed the delicate balance of embracing Islam while condemning Islamic extremists in the Muslim majority country. Christians are Egypt’s largest religious minority, comprising 10% of the total 92 million population. They have been targeted by Islamic State extremists.
It’s showing us the courage we need to stand against people trying to make us afraid.
— Maria Cormack, worshiper
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi lauded the pope during their meeting Friday, expressing appreciation for “his noble humanitarian positions which unleash the power of hope in the hearts of people.”
Hosting the pope, he told Francis, “is a declaration to the world of the strength of our national unity.”
“Eradicating terrorism requires a comprehensive strategy that takes into account not only military and security measures but also developmental, intellectual and political aspects,” Sisi said.
The tension was palpable on Cairo’s streets. Police in riot gear lined the pope’s route overnight, armored trucks parked every few blocks, which had been cleared of parked cars. Small groups of onlookers gathered to cheer as the pontiff passed, a fraction of the crowds he normally draws.
Instead of the armored “popemobile,” Francis traveled in a small blue Fiat. He made it to the Vatican Embassy safely, and the night passed without incident.
The Mass on Saturday at the military-run stadium was expected to attract more than 50,000 people.
“I just pray for his safety,” said Sister Charlotte Greer, a Palmdale native and principal of St. Clare’s College in suburban Heliopolis who received a free ticket to board one of a fleet of buses headed to the Mass.
After the service, Francis was expected to lunch with Catholic bishops, then meet with priests, nuns and other religious leaders at St. Leo the Great Coptic Catholic Patriarchal Seminary in suburban Maadi. He is scheduled to depart for Rome at 5 p.m.
molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com
Twitter: @mollyhf
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UPDATES:
1:35 a.m.: This article was updated with the pope beginning his address.
1:20 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from worshipers.
This article was originally published at 12:40 a.m.
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