Coptic Orthodox Church
UK
Media and
Communications Office
Coptic Orthodox Church
(Europe)
Media and Communications Office
Bishop Angaelos
delivers address and answers questions regarding the refugee crisis during a
Churches Together in England (CTE) President’s dinner with Church leaders at
Lambeth Palace on 3 December 2015.
The meeting commenced with a short welcome from The Most Revd and Rt Hon
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by a brief introduction by The
Rt Revd Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth, and David Cornick,
General Secretary of CTE. Speeches were made by Presidents of CTE, the Most Rev
Vincent Nichols, Cardinal of Westminster, and Dr Hugh Osgood.
In beginning his
address. His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox
Church in the United Kingdom, commended the work being done by various Faith
leaders and communities in response to the refugee crisis, and went on to
outline the role Christians and Church leaders in their response, saying:
“The responsibility we have as Christians to be charitable and generous
is undeniable, and it is important for us to always be good and faithful
conduits of the Christian message of love and hospitality which is
indiscriminate and undeniable.”
Speaking of the enormity of the challenge of
refugee resettlement and stabilisation, His Grace went on to say:
“There is no way that all those currently displaced within or outside of
Syria can be absorbed into other nations, and we must understand that the
majority of them do not wish to leave their homelands. If their own places of
heritage and history were available to them they would remain in their
countries.”
“While we need to focus on the immediate vulnerability of refugees we
must also think long-term about providing the possibility of return through
safe and legitimate means, to ensure they have safety and refuge in their
homelands.”
Urging Faith leaders to rethink rhetoric used
in responding to the issue, he said:
“In tackling this issue our threshold has dropped; we are now calling for
people not to be executed for their Faith or lack thereof, whereas we must
realise and communicate that being alive is not a privilege but a right. We
must call for all to live within a context of dignity, equality, safety and
prosperity.”
Speaking of the efforts of Muslim faith leaders
in their response to extremist ideology, he said:
“We must pay tribute to the Muslim voices that have spoken against these
atrocities and also recognise that more must speak out, as this
counter-narrative must come from within Islam and its institutions. Not only
should we pay tribute to these courageous voices but we must stand by them when
they speak because they become targets in challenging the more radical voices
around them.”
In
conclusion, Bishop Angaelos called for more unified and collaborative efforts, saying:
“We must realise that
this is a great opportunity for the Church in England to be a source of light.
We must stand collectively to pray, speak and provide hope into these dire
situations.”
Quoting Scripture, Bishop Angaelos called for
Christians to remember that “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you
as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were once
strangers…” (Leviticus 19:34)
