Egypt: Communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See

Below is Vatican Radio's unofficial translation of the communiqué issued Tuesday evening by the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See.

Communiqué from the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ

[Tuesday evening], Her Excellency, the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Holy See, Lamia Aly Mekhemar Hamada was received at the Vatican by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See. During the meeting the Ambassador, who will travel to Cairo for consultations with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, expressed the concerns of her government in a difficult moment, and was able to receive information and collect relevant elements in order adequately to report on the recent statements of the Holy Father, especially regarding religious freedom and the protection of Christians in the Middle East.

Stressing that the Holy See participates in the emotion of the entire Egyptian people stricken by the attack in Alexandria, Archbishop Mamberti ensured that the Holy See fully shares the concern of the government to avoid the escalation of confrontation and tensions for religious reasons, and appreciates the efforts the Egyptian government makes in that direction.