LATEST: Pope urges Egypt's imams to preach peace and tolerance

He arrived to a subdued welcome and a heavy police presence at Cairo's international airport, but he brushed off security concerns by driving into town with his windows rolled down in a simple blue Fiat - not the armoured "pope-mobiles" of his predecessors.

His first event was a landmark visit to Cairo's Al Azhar university, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islam learning that trains clerics and scholars from around the world.

He warmly embraced Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Al-Azhar's grand imam who hosted the Pope and other senior Muslim and Christian leaders at a peace conference.

Speaking to the crowd, Francis recalled that Egypt's ancient civilizations valued the quest for knowledge and open-minded education, and that a similar commitment is required today to combat the "barbarity" of religious extremism among the young.

While Al-Azhar has strongly condemned Islamic fundamentalism, Egypt's pro-government media has accused its leadership of failing to do enough to reform the religious discourse in Islam and purge canonical books of outdated teachings and hatred for non-Muslims.

"As religious leaders, we are called to unmask violence that masquerades as purported sanctity," Francis said to applause from the crowd. "Let us say once more a firm and clear 'No' to every form of violence, vengeance and hatred carried out in the name of religion or in the name of God.

"To counter effectively the barbarity of those who foment hatred with violence, we need to accompany young people, helping them on the path to maturity and teaching them to respond to the incendiary logic of evil by patiently working for the growth of goodness."

Sheikh el-Tayeb thanked Francis for what he called his "fair" comments against charges of terror and violence levelled against Muslims and Islam.

"We need to cleanse religions from wrong notions, false piety and fraudulent implementations which stoke conflicts and incite hatred and violence," he said. "Islam is not a religion of terrorism because a minority from among its followers hijacked some of its texts" to shed blood and be provided by some with weapons and funds, he said to applause.

EARLIER: The Pope has arrived in Egypt for a historic two-day visit aimed at presenting a united Christian-Muslim front to reject violence committed in God's name.

The Catholic Church leader is holding a series of symbolic meetings in Cairo with Egypt's religious and political leaders.

He is also to participate in an international peace conference organised by Al-Azhar, the world's primary seat of Sunni Islamic learning.

Francis will also show solidarity and take a message of peace to a country that has for years endured an increasingly emboldened insurgency led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.

The pontiff's visit will also lift the spirits of Egypt's large Christian community after three suicide bombings since December - including deadly twin Palm Sunday church attacks - killed at least 75 people. IS claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Francis arrived at Cairo airport to a red carpet welcome, and a girl in a white dress and a boy in a black tuxedo presented him with bouquets of flowers.

He was taken to the presidential palace, the opulent Ittihadya, where he met President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Both leaders stood to attention as a military band played the national anthems of the Vatican and Egypt.

After talks with Mr el-Sissi, Francis is heading to Al-Azhar, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islam teachings. There, he will meet grand imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb and participate in an international peace conference.

He will also head to the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which accounts for about 10% of Egypt's 92 million people, to meet the Christian patriarch, Tawadros II.

Francis and Tawadros will preside over an ecumenical prayer service in St Peter's church, the Coptic cathedral that was the site of a December suicide bombing claimed by IS militants that killed 30 people.

Together they will pray for the victims of the attacks.

AP