Thousands attend funeral of Coptic Pope Shenouda

Pallbearers struggle to carry the coffin of Coptic Pope Shenuda III out of Saint Mark's cathedral during his funeral service yesterday (AFP/Getty Images)

Thousands of mourners packed Cairo's main cathedral yesterday for the funeral of the Coptic Orthodox Pope, Shenouda III, who spent his final years trying to comfort a community disturbed by the rise of political Islam in Egypt.

Pope Shenouda, who died on Saturday aged 88, won respect among the Muslim majority, but his last years witnessed a growth in sectarian tension that worsened with the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak last year.

Reuters