The pope made the remarks during his Sunday sermon while inaugurating Saint Queen Helena Church in Cairo’s Maadi district, where he led the mass of the Feast of the Cross.

“I take the opportunity to congratulate our Muslim brothers on the fasting of next Ramadan,” Pope Tawadros said.

The pope wished happiness and blessings upon all Muslim and Christian people in Egypt on the occasion of Ramadan.

This Ramadan in the Hijri year 1444 is expected to start on Thursday 23 March in Egypt and most Arab countries, according to astronomical calculations by the Cairo-based National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG).

However, Dar Al-Ifta, Egypt’s body responsible for issuing religious edicts, is scheduled to observe the crescent moon of this year’s holy month on Tuesday to determine the exact date for first day of Ramadan, which will either be on Wednesday or Thursday.