It must be the most dangerous trip Pope Francis has ever made, into the very heart of the capital of the largest Arab nation whose Isis tormentors long ago decided that Christians would be their “prey”. But Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who used to be a field marshal, seems to be turning it into a symbolic demonstration of his army’s power.

The man of peace, it seems, is going to be protected by thousands of soldiers and even the great prayer meeting on Saturday, with 21,000 worshippers, will be held in the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo; the army is going to show a film of the destruction of 54 churches destroyed by “terrorists” but restored by the army. What the Pope will make of all this is anyone’s guess.

There is no armoured vehicle for him. Just a golf cart at the Saturday prayers. It all sounds a frightening prospect for anyone interested in his safety. But why does the Pope think he’s coming to Cairo? Well, of course, he’s meeting Sisi and he will hold talks with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb. The Pope has been – if such a phrase can be used – the most pro-Muslim pope of modern times. His predecessor, the unlamented Benedict, managed to so offend al-Azhar that he broke ties with the Vatican. Francis will also meet the Coptic Pope Tawadros the Second.

But no message of peace from him is going to stop Isis in its campaign of cleansing the Christians from Sinai and attacking their churches – as it did earlier this month with suicide bombings in Alexandria and Tanta at a cost of 46 dead. …

MORE:   http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/pope-visits-cairo-egypt-president-al-sisi-military-strength-christians-isis-martyrs-a7707961.html