Egyptians Mourn Coptic Pope

Tens of thousands of Egyptian Coptic Christians are mourning the death of their pope, Shenouda III, who died at age 88 on Saturday after reportedly suffering from cancer. Many wept curing the Sunday-morning mass in Cairo’s St. Mark’s Cathedral, where the dead spiritual leader’s body sat in the papal chair dressed in ceremonial robes. Shenouda III led the church for four decades. Coptic Christians make up 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million, making them the largest Christian minority in the Middle East. Friction has worsened since former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted—Mubarak sought to suppress Islamists, and Shenouda gave tacit support to the leader, which has led to discrimination and attacks since the Arab Spring uprising.