Following Palm Sunday's twin church attacks in Egypt, Vatican officials announced that Pope Francis will still be going ahead with his April 28-29 visit to the country, on Monday.

In a statement, the Vatican's deputy secretary of state, Archbishop Angelo Becciu said that Sunday's tragic events “could not impede the pope from carrying out his mission of peace."

Fr Rafic Grieche, spokesman for the Egyptian bishops, also spoke to the Catholic News Service on April 10 saying that “Egyptians are looking forward to Pope Francis’s visit."

Grieche added that the Pope's visit comes at a time of extreme difficulty and "can bring peace and hope to the Egyptian people as a whole and to the Christians of the East, in particular."

Security and other concerns

The attacks have raised security concerns, especially since Pope Tawadros II (Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark) was a target in the Palm Sunday Alexandria church attack. 

Following the massacre, Egypt's Cabinet announced a three-month state of emergency, a measure designed to help authorities root out the terror network, CNN reported. 

The Egyptian House of Representatives approved the state of emergency on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Alongside security concerns, there are fears Pope Francis' visit would 'legitimize' Egypt's president Abdel Fatah El Sisi.

 Rania Al Malky who wrote an open letter to the Pope, published in the Middle East Eye asked him to reconsider his visit, explaining that as a Muslim woman she would be honored by it, but not at a time when it would serve "to legitimize a murderous administration that is complicit in the killing of tens of Christians and hundreds of Muslims."