Press Release: His Grace Bishop Angaelos represents His Holiness Pope Tawadros II at an international conference in Italy regarding the future of Christians in the Middle East.

Press Release

For immediate use

30 April 2015

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

His Grace Bishop Angaelos represents His Holiness Pope Tawadros II at an international conference in Italy regarding the future of Christians in the Middle East.

30 April 2015

His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom,  took part in an international conference entitled ‘Christians in the Middle East: What Future?’ officially representing His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark.

The conference, which was held on 29-30 April 2015 in Bari Italy, was attended by patriarchs and heads of the Catholic, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches of the Middle East, along with international political and governmental representatives, journalists, academics and lay members of communities. 

Speaking of the need for collaborative efforts in responding to the extreme challenges that face Christians in the Middle East, Bishop Angaelos said:

“It is time for greater collaboration between our Churches, governments, organisations, and initiatives like this, which will lead to greater results for all. If we do not take ownership in responding to this situation and the needs of those suffering in the Middle East now, opportunists will take our place and use this tragedy and its victims for their own agenda. A lack of coordination will lead to a fragmentation of what should be a very powerful voice of advocacy, as well as duplication and the wastage of resourses that are already limited in light of the immense need.”

On the final day of the conference Bishop Angaelos spoke about safeguarding the rights and freedoms of Christians in the Middle East, and the importance of classifying them as indigenous people, saying:

“This must be transformed from an issue of minorities to one of indigenous people who have had their roots in these lands for not only decades or centuries but millennia. They are an intrinsic part of, and a stabilising force in, the region, and losing them would be a loss to the whole world as they are, through their continuous presence, part of the history, institution and constitution of the Middle East.”

Speaking of the continued need for voicing the issue and for advocacy efforts, Bishop Angaelos said:

“There has been such an immense bravery and witness from so many in the region, including the Ethiopian and Coptic martyrs who recently paid the ultimate price, the two Syrian archbishops who remain missing, and so many more in Iraq and Syria. As Christian leaders we must continue to speak with a voice that is nuanced, no longer referring to Christians of the East and West, but speaking as the one Body of Christ that suffers and witnesses equally and is unified in proclaiming the Gospel.”

As part of the programme, attendees gathered for a service of prayer dedicated to Christians of the Middle East in the Basilica of San Nicola on Wednesday evening.

The conference was hosted collaboratively by the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Catholic Archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto in response to an open plea by His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, for 'an appropriate response from the international community to the challenges facing Christians in the Middle East.'

Pope Tawadros visited Pope Francis at the Vatican in May 2013, marking 40 years since the late Pope Shenouda III and the late Pope Paul VI signed the historic Christological agreement between their respective Churches at the Vatican in 1973. Bishop Angaelos, who was also part of the delegation accompanying Pope Tawadros, said 'during this visit, Their Holiness spoke of the shared heritage of martyrdom in their Churches, which now seems almost prophetic in light of this and similar meetings that attempt to respond to atrocities that continue to be faced by members of their Churches today in the Middle East.'  

*Ends*

Visit www.Santegidio.org for more information about the conference.

Hundreds visit The Coptic Centre in Stevenage to mark the 150th anniversary of Shephalbury Manor

Press Release

For immediate use

27 April 2015

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

Hundreds visit The Coptic Centre in Stevenage to mark the 150^th anniversary of Shephalbury Manor.

A special open day was held at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in the United Kingdom, situated at Shephalbury Manor, to mark 150th anniversary of the manor. The open day, hosted by the Coptic community, was attended by the Mayor of Stevenage, Councillor Sherma Batson MBE, various mayors and civic dignitaries from across Hertfordshire, and approximately 400 members of the local and wider Hertfordshire community. A number of people who have had a historic connection with the manor over the years also attended, including members of the Heathcote family that had historically owned and occupied Shephalbury Manor.

The open day included a Stevenage Museum display of articles owned by the Heathcote family, an information session about the history of the manor, tours of the Cathedral of Saint George, a barbeque and various activities for the children.

In his welcome address in the manor house His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom said:

“Having been in this manor for over 25 years, the Coptic community is thankful for the efforts of a very dedicated group of local residents called ‘The Shephalbury Manor Action Committee’. They saved this building from demolition and had it listed in the 1980s before the Coptic Church purchased it in 1991. Since then, this building and this Centre remains a place of life, active ministry and interaction within the community.

We look at ourselves as very much a part of Stevenage, Hertfordshire and of course the wider British community, and therefore are able to engage on a variety of levels including pastoral work, youth ministry, ecumenical relations and official work, among other things. I am very proud to live in Stevenage, as a thriving community, and we all, as a community, appreciate and value this Manor as our home, for the history and heritage it brings, and for the living opportunities that it provides people today.”

His Grace went on to thank Stevenage Museum for its display of artefacts owned by the Heathcote family, and introduced Mayor Sherma Batson, saying:

“Mayor Batson is one of the most active mayors of Stevenage that I have encountered over the past 20 years. I thank you for all that you have done over the past year, and while your mayoral term is coming to an end, I know that you will go from strength to strength and continue to do great work.”

In addressing the community the Mayor said:

“This is a fantastic time for me to be the first citizen of Stevenage and to be able to be in this building and on this site which is actually in my council ward, so I am equally proud of that. If it wasn’t for the Coptic community and the Church here this building would have fallen into disrepair, and I know that for a fact. I am so pleased that you have opened your doors because it is a wonderful place to see and my next big project will be to make sure that a brown sign is produced to let people know you that you are here as a part of our great town.”

*Ends*

Special service hosted by His Grace Bishop Angaelos and the Mayor of Stevenage to mark Saint George’s Day

Press Release

For immediate use

24 April 2015

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

Special service hosted by His Grace Bishop Angaelos and the Mayor of Stevenage to mark Saint George’s Day

 24 April 2015

A special service was held in the Cathedral of Saint George in The Coptic Centre, Stevenage to mark Saint George’s Day on 23 April 2015. Hosted by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, and Councillor Sherma Batson MBE, Mayor of Stevenage, the service was attended by more than 100 people including The Countess Verulam, Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, civic dignitaries, ecumenical guests, and members of the Coptic community and the wider Stevenage community.

In his sermon Bishop Angaelos spoke of the recent murder of Coptic and Ethiopian Christians in Libya, saying:

“Today we celebrate the great martyr Saint George, and what we see in him is what we can strive to achieve in our lives today. What has been proven to us over the past weeks is that power, witness and dedication is not limited to the lives of the saints in the past, but sacrificing, even paying the ultimate price for one’s Faith is still happening today.       

Saint George was a person with conviction, a successful man, community leader, and military commander, and despite his struggles he would not renounce his Faith. It is that strength and example that allows us to be faithful witnesses and contribute positively to society today, knowing that despite the presence of evil, there is infinitely more hope that is brought about by people of conviction like Saint George. Today we celebrate the life of this great Saint and realise that we can likewise be the Saint George’s of our day.”

In a short address after the service, the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire said:

“Today is such an auspicious and wonderful day to be here, the Patron Saint’s Day, it really is a special day. It is wonderful to see this place flourishing as a Centre of prayer and calmness, meditation and love, in the midst of what are very difficult times for Christians. It is a wonderful example to the rest of us.”

In thanking those who attended the service the Mayor said:

“Lord Lieutenant, civic dignitaries, councillors, friends, residents, people of this town, thank you so much for joining the Bishop and I here today for this event, I hope you enjoyed the service as much as I did. I found the sermon uplifting, especially in the times that we are living in, as it is important to remember that there is still good in the world and I think there is more good than there is bad, and we must remain positive about that.

I would like to thank you for hosting the event in this magnificent Cathedral that is in our town, and I am glad that many are here today and have seen something they have never seen before. It has been a really lovely event to happen in my mayoral year, and I thank you for sharing this wonderful place as there are so many different people with different backgrounds and we need to share with the community, and I am glad to be part of it.”

*Ends*

Statement by HG Bishop Angaelos following the murder of Ethiopian Christians by Daesh (IS) in Libya

For immediate use

20 April 2015

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

Statement by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, following the murder of Ethiopian Christians in Libya

20 April 2015

The confirmation of the murder of Ethiopian Christians by Daesh (IS) in Libya has been received with deep sadness. These executions that unnecessarily and unjustifiably claim the lives of innocent people, wholly undeserving of this brutality, have unfortunately become far too familiar. Once again we see innocent Christians murdered purely for refusing to renounce their Faith.

The Christians of Egypt and Ethiopia have had a shared heritage for centuries. Being predominantly Orthodox Christian communities with a mutual understanding of life and witness, and a common origin in the Coptic Orthodox Church, they now also share an even greater connection through the blood of these contemporary martyrs.

This sad news came on the day that His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury visited His Holiness Pope Tawadros II in Egypt to personally express his condolences following the similar brutal murder of 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians in Libya by Daesh in February of this year. 

These horrific murders have not only touched the lives of those in the Middle East and Africa, but have led to a greater sense of solidarity among people and communities around the world. I am thankful, in the midst of this pain, that the ghastly nature of these crimes is bringing a greater rejection of them, and of any ideology that sanctions, justifies or glorifies brutality and murder.

As people of faith and none who respect humanity and life, we must continue to speak out against such appalling and senseless violence. As Christians, we remain committed to our initial instinct following the murder of our 21 Coptic brothers in Libya, that it is not only for our own good, but indeed our duty to ourselves, the world, and even those who see themselves as our enemies, to forgive and pray for the perpetrators of this and similar crimes. We pray for these men and women, self-confessed religious people, that they may be reminded of the sacred and precious nature of every life created by God.

Acts such as these do not only cause insurmountable pain to so many around the world, especially the families and communities of the victims, but can also create an even greater desensitisation in those perpetrating them to the suffering and pain which they cause. The will of God, Who created us in His own Image and likeness, can most certainly not be that we feel each other’s pain less or become desensitised to each other’s suffering.

We pray repose for the souls of these innocent men, a change of heart for those who took their lives, but above all we pray comfort and strength for their families and communities, and the many around the world who may not have known them, yet are left to mourn such a tragic and unnecessary loss of precious life.  

Having seen the courageous response of the families of the Coptic martyrs in Libya, we pray similar strength, courage and peace for all those suffering as a result of this brutal act, reassured that their loved ones will never be forgotten, having died as true martyrs and paying the ultimate price, hearing the joyful promise “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Lord.”[1]

---

[1] The Holy Bible, Gospel of Matthew 25:21, NKJV

Reports emerge of the murder of 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya

It is with deep sadness that we have received news of 30 Ethiopian Christians reportedly killed by IS in Libya. As we wait for verification of the gruesome video and images now being circulated on social media, we pray for these men and comfort for their families.

This sad news comes on a day when The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury has travelled to Egypt and visited His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark to pay his condolences for the recent brutal murder of 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians in Libya at the hands of Daesh (IS).