Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II has inaugurated the first Coptic Orthodox church in Japan during his visit to the country, the first of its kind by a Coptic pope, state-run MENA news agency reported on Sunday.
The church was established in 2016 to serve Egyptian, Ethiopian and Eritrean Coptic communities living in the East Asian country.
In his inauguration speech, Pope Tawadros II praised the Japanese government and people for welcoming the church as well as the Egyptian ambassador and the foreign ministry for organising his visit.
After completing his trip to Japan, the pope is set to visit Australia, where he will participate in a number of Coptic activities in several Australian cities and meet with Australian officials.
The pope is the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which has an estimated 25 million members worldwide.
