Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi visited the country’s main Coptic cathedral in Cairo on Tuesday evening to attend its Christmas celebrations, becoming the first Egyptian head of state to visit the cathedral to mark the occasion.

Sisi made the surprise 10-minute visit to St. Mark’s Coptic Cathedral—the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church and its Pope Tawadros II—during Christmas Eve Mass.

Egyptian presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak all visited the cathedral—with Nasser notably attending its inauguration in 1968—but none have made an appearance during celebrations to mark Orthodox Christmas.

The vast majority of Egypt’s Christians follow the Coptic Orthodox Church, which along with other Orthodox denominations celebrates Christmas on January 7.

Informed Egyptian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat Sisi was “keen to attend the celebrations in person, despite returning back to Egypt from Kuwait at a late hour.”

The sources added that the Egyptian president had cut short his visit to the Gulf state in order to attend the ceremony, coming straight from the airport to the cathedral.

He stayed for 10 minutes, addressed worshipers, then left quickly, in order not to interrupt the celebrations any further. Coptic worshipers reportedly chanted “We love you Sisi,” “[Muslims and Christians are] One hand,” and “Long live Egypt!”

“It was important for me to attend these celebrations to wish you well on the occasion of Christmas,” Sisi told the crowds gathered at the cathedral.

“God willing we will build our country together, Muslim and Christian. We will help each other and love each other, so people can really see what the Egyptians are like . . . All Egyptians will help build their country, and I always say ‘Egyptians,’ not ‘Muslims’ or ‘Christians,’” he said.

Sisi was received at the cathedral by Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who on Wednesday described the president’s visit as a “surprise and a generous gesture.”

“Egyptian Christians were happy with the visit of President Sisi, and this is natural. But Egyptian Muslims were also happy, because this is the nature of our people, who share their happiness with one another in all national, social and religious events,” he added.

“This year we see the New Year, the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday [on January 3], and [Orthodox] Christmas all coinciding with each other. This is an historic sign of the unity of all Egyptians,” the Coptic Pope said.