The pontiff of the Middle East's largest Christian denomination visited the High Desert on Tuesday.On a three-week U.S. visit from Egypt, Coptic Pope Tawadros II spoke at a local congregation where hundreds of the faithful heard a message of hope and met the spiritual leader up close.
Security was tight during Tawadros’ visit to St. Mary Coptic Church in Victorville, where church member Nicole Wassef gathered with Coptic Christians from around the High Desert and Southern California to hear the 118th pope and leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
“The Pope coming here shows that he loves and supports his followers all over the world,” Wassef, 24, told the Daily Press moments after she took a selfie with Tawadros. “He told us that he gives 12 hours of his day to be with his congregation and much of the rest of the day in prayer."
Wassef said that Tawadros emulates Jesus Christ as the shepherd of his flock. He said the Pope delivered his message in Arabic, which included encouragement to pray, to read the Bible, to attend church and to be in fellowship with one another.
During his visit, the 62-year old Tawadros met with church leaders, conducted a service, blessed the congregation, received flowers from a few young followers, toured the facility and took several selfies with visitors of all ages.
The Coptic Pope’s U.S. tour has included visits to various churches and meetings with religious leaders in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. According to the Associated Press, he planned to ordain two priests during his visit.
Tawadros’ arrived to the U.S. with the goal of maintaining communication with American Coptic Christians during a time when many have left Egypt to live in various places around the globe due to persecution they faced at home, according to Christianity Today.
Coptic Christians make up only about 10 percent ofEgypt's population of 83 million, according to the Associated Press, but millions more live elsewhere in the world, with up to a million followers in the U.S.
