“Francis Mania” is still gripping the foreign press: The Pope’s arrival in Cairo tomorrow tops international coverage on Egypt this morning, albeit with very little added substance. AFP gives a rundown of the pontiff’s itinerary once in Cairo for his “high security trip,” which Religion News Services says is nothing new for Francis, who has previously embarked on ‘perilous’ journeys to spread his message of peace. Meanwhile, right-wing news outlet Breitbart belatedly takes note of Francis’ video message and America Magazine’s Gerard O’Connell says that Francis’ “peace mission” is significant in more ways than one, including its “hopes to bring consolation and encouragement to the country’s tiny, hard-pressed Catholic community.” Many are curious to see how Pope Francis will maneuver the “tinderbox situation” created by religious tensions and human rights issues, O’Connell says.

The persecution of Christians is also getting some digital ink in foreign outlets, with an American Catholic Priest in Egypt telling Vatican Radio that “residents in several predominantly Christian villages … are anxious about their future” following the Palm Sunday terror attacks. The Eurasia Review says Egyptian security services’ failure to protect Christians against the spate of violence indicates their tacit approval of the attacks, and few Western leaders have taken solid steps to protect Egypt’s Christians against further violence.

…With the Pope’s visit to Egypt in sight, Francis X Rocca and Dahlia Kholaif write in the WSJ that some Catholics “want the pope to challenge Muslims more vigorously to repudiate religiously inspired violence and intolerance.” In contrast with Pope Francis’ conciliatory note, some are calling for an approach more similar to Pope Benedict’s “tough-love” approach in recognizing “that Islamic scripture and tradition offer justifications for violence, and to distinguish among traditions within Islam that are more or less open to peaceful coexistence with other faiths.” In a piece for Reuters, Philip Pullella quotes Italian historian Roberto de Mattei, who said the Palm Sunday attacks should be "a brusque reality check for Pope Francis” as the perpetrators were "not unbalanced or crazy but bearers of a religious vision that has been combating Christianity since the seventh century.”