Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II left Thursday for Netherlands on the first-leg of a pastoral tour in Europe.

The week-long tour will also take him to France and Austria.

While in Netherlands, he will open a new church and meet with the Coptic community there.

He will then leave for France for a conference on Coptic Churches outside Egypt. He will undergo medical checkups in Austria and return home on May 20.