Pope Francis calls on Egypt's Catholics to embrace forgiveness

Pope Francis on Saturday celebrated mass for members of Egypt’s small Catholic community, urging them to hope and forgive those who terrorized and persecute them.

“True faith makes us see the other not as an enemy to be overcome, but a brother or sister to be loved.Do not be afraid to love everyone, friends and enemies alike,” he said.

The Pope on Friday laid flowers and prayed for the 28 people killed in a Christmas season blast last year at Cairo’s largest Coptic cathedral in Egypt.

Francis, accompanied by Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who narrowly escaped a church bombing in Alexandria this month.

Both met in an effort to bolster the frosty relations with Coptic churches.

His two-day trip to Cairo is aimed at improving Christian-Muslim ties, and comes just three weeks after Islamic State suicide bombers killed at least 45 people in two Egyptian churches.

Copts represent about 10 percent of Egypt’s 92 million population.