Thousands mourn Egypt’s Coptic Pope

Christians gathered yesterday to pay final respects to Pope Shenouda III, who sought to soothe sectarian tension in his four decades atop Egypt’s Orthodox church.

Friction has worsened since the fall of president Hosni Mubarak. Since then Shenouda, who died on Saturday aged 88, often called for harmony and regularly met Muslim and other leaders.

Christians, who comprise about a tenth of Egypt’s 80 million people, have long complained of discrimination and in the past year stepped up protests, which included calls for rules that would make it as easy to build a church as a mosque.

Shenouda had served as the 117th Pope of Alexandria since 1971, leading the Orthodox community who make up most of Egypt’s Christians. His funeral will be held tomorrow.

Thousands of Christians queued in Cairo’s Abbasiya district at the cathedral where Shenouda’s body was initially laid in a coffin and later seated on a throne wearing gold and red embroidered vestments, a mitre on his head and holding a staff.