‘Ecumenism of blood’ unites Catholics and Copts

Pope Francis has written to the head of the Coptic Church in Egypt to express his condolences for the loss of the martyrs recently murdered for their Christian faith, writes Hannah Roberts.

In a message to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria marking two years since the Coptic Patriarch’s visit to the Holy See, Francis pointed out that the Churches were united by their joint suffering. In February, 20 Coptic Egyptian Christians were abducted and beheaded by Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Libya. Last month dozens more Ethiopian Christians were murdered by IS in the desert and on the beach.

In a message of solidarity Francis wrote : “Today more than ever we are united by the ecumenism of blood. Even if our communion is still imperfect, what unites us is much bigger than what divides us.”

Christians all over the world face similar challenges and should work together, he said.