Egyptians mourn Coptic Pope Shenouda

Egypt's Christians are mourning the Coptic Pope Shenouda III, the leader of the Middle East's largest Christian minority, who has died at the age of 88.

Within an hour of Saturday's announcement of his death, traffic was jammed for kilometres leading to St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, where the spiritual leader was based.

Tens of thousands of Christians packed into the cathedral, chanting: "We love you, Father," in memory of the pontiff who had led their community since 1971.

Shenouda died in his residence at the cathedral, and the state news agency MENA said he had been battling liver and lung problems for several years. Health issues forced him to cancel his weekly sermon on Wednesday.

The leader of the Middle East's largest Christian minority was reported to suffer from cancer that had spread to several organs.

Coptic Christians make up 10% of Egypt's population of 80 million.

After attacks on Coptic Christians in recent years, Pope Shenouda urged officials to do more to address the community's concerns.

Pope Shenouda led the church, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, for four decades.

His political adviser Hany Aziz told Reuters news agency that Shenouda "died from complications in health and from old age".

He had returned recently to Egypt after seeking treatment abroad.

Pope Shenouda was born Nazeer Gayed into a devout Christian family on 3 August 1923 in Asyut, Upper Egypt, and became a monk in 1954, taking the name Shenouda.

After Pope Cyril died in 1971, Shenouda was enthroned as Pope of Alexandria.

He fell out with President Anwar Sadat, who in 1981 sent him into internal exile. He was allowed back to Cairo by President Hosni Mubarak four years later.

The later part of his papacy was marked by co-operation with Mubarak and, after the revolt, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. When sectarian clashes began to erupt after Mubarak's removal, including church burnings throughout the country, Shenouda praised the military leadership for helping to rebuild.

Whoever succeeds him now faces the task of reassuring the Coptic community as the Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood look on the verge of sharing power in Egypt for the first time.

Many younger Copts will now be looking for a leader who can help redefine their community's role in a rapidly changing post-Mubarak Egypt.