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Pope Francis Tries To Heal Wounds During His Speech In Egypt

The short visit was meant to bring together the country's Muslim majority and Christian minority.

Pope Francis Tries To Heal Wounds During His Speech In Egypt
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The pope took a trip to Egypt and had a strong message about religious violence.

The leader of the Catholic Church spoke to a crowd of some 15,000 people and denounced the actions of violent religious fanatics.

"The only fanaticism believers can have is that of charity," Pope Francis said. "Any other fanaticism does not come from God and is not pleasing to him."

The visit was meant to bring together Muslims and the Christian minority in the country. Tensions between the two hit a high in recent weeks.

ISIS fighters bombed two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday, killing at least 45 people and injuring dozens more.

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Up to 10 percent of Egypt's population is Christian, and the Muslim population is around 90 percent.

The pope also met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during his stay. El-Sissi has been criticized for human rights offenses and stifling free press in the country.

Still, during the pope's speech, he spoke directly to el-Sissi and emphasized it is "our duty to dismantle deadly ideas and extremist ideologies."