Message from HRH The Prince of Wales sent to HH Pope Tawadros II after Cairo Church Bombing

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

                                Media and Communications Office

Message of condolence received by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II from
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

12 December 2016

Messages of condolence have been pouring in for the Coptic Orthodox Community worldwide as a result of a brutal bombing which claimed the lives of 25, mostly women and children, at St Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo.

A message from HRH The Prince of Wales was sent to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, saying:           

"I wanted to send to Your Holiness, and to all members of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt and across the world, my most profound sympathy over the unbearably inhuman attack on the chapel adjacent to St Mark's Cathedral.  Those guilty of this terrible crime are clearly seeking, in their brutal way, to create divisions within Egyptian society, as we have seen only on Friday with the barbaric murder of six policemen in Giza. The steadfastness of Egyptians in the face of such appalling hatred and extremism is greatly to be admired.

I can only begin to imagine the dreadful shock and grief that Copts, and indeed all Egyptians, must be feeling and my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who have been killed and wounded.

I wanted to assure Your Holiness that Copts everywhere, and especially in Egypt, are in my thoughts and special prayers as they try to cope with the loss, pain and fear that the attack has inflicted upon them."

In response to the message of condolence from HRH The Prince of Wales and other individuals, Church bodies, faith groups and organisations, His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom said:

“On a day of great concern and sadness for Coptic Christians around the world, it is truly heartening to receive warm messages of support and condolence from friends across a broad spectrum of society. Atrocities such as these cause much pain to all affected, yet they also shine light on the immense love, care and solidarity expressed by many who feel they share a common humanity, whatever their background, faith or walk of life.

I am thankful for the message from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, who visited our community in 2013 to highlight the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and for his ongoing support for all who suffer as a result of oppression and marginalisation. We pray that God continue to provide hope, light and support to all who are suffering, as we also pray for those who continue to aspire to be that support, that hope and that light.”

*Ends*

HG Bishop Angaelos comments a day after brutal bombing and murder of 25 people in St Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo

HG Bishop Angaelos comments a day after brutal bombing and murder of 25 people in St Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo

12 December 2016

Today is a day of many emotions: sadness, nervousness, uncertainty, and understandably even anger at times. That is because yesterday was a day in which we witnessed the worst of humanity, when innocent women and children who decided to worship their God in their spiritual home had their lives needlessly and senselessly ended without warning. They were used as pawns; a means to an end. To the perpetrators of this heinous crime, their lives clearly held no greater value than scribbles on a strategic page; a plan that was to be executed for a cause to which they were merely incidental, collateral damage. Yesterday we saw beautiful lives lost, families separated and broken, and whole communities grieving; a truly painful time that has not only affected Coptic Christians, but Egyptian society at large, Muslims and Christians alike, and millions around the world.

Crimes will always be perpetrated and criminals will continue to exist, but such a strategic, vicious act is difficult to comprehend. It is indeed difficult to understand how a person might plan and execute such a horrific, ruthless and barbaric plot against innocent women and children. The only way to do this is to completely disregard the relevance, value and sanctity of any life potentially affected by these actions.

In recent decades, we have seen recurring acts of violence against Christians and Christian communities in Egypt. Time and time again, very few, if any, perpetrators have been brought to justice, and we subsequently continue to witness an escalation of these attacks. This is not a matter of blame, but accountability, with an expectation that barbaric acts such as these should never occur, but if they do, that their perpetrators are rightly and fairly held to account. This is not a call for vengeance, but a deterrent against similar future plans and aspirations. 

We are thankful for the overwhelming outpouring of emotion and support that we have personally received from friends, and even indeed strangers, around the world in response to this horrific and heartbreaking attack, but it is unfathomable that at the same time, others have politicised this atrocity by actually laying blame on those targeted, maimed and killed because of the perceived political stance of Christians in Egypt. They have even gone so far as to imply that Christians and the Church were somehow complicit in this crime to gain sympathy, allegedly using their daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers as means to a ludicrous contrived political end.

As Christians, we have hope in the belief that good will prevail despite the seemingly increasing evil in our world. Life will certainly go on and atrocities such as these will by no means defeat us. Today, tomorrow and the next day will continue to bring new beginnings and greater resilience, but there will continue to be a deep effect on many that may remain with them for weeks, months, and even years to come.

As Christians, we also believe in forgiveness, but forgiveness is by no means synonymous with ignoring justice. Forgiveness ensures that our own hearts are not entangled in a web of anger and resentment, or corrupted by feelings of hatred or revenge. Forgiveness is ultimately liberating and empowering, but at the same time, justice is essential; not for the purposes of punishment, but to secure and protect our societies in which people must respectfully live side by side.

Chapter 16 of the Gospel of Saint John tells us that in the world “we will have tribulation” but to be “of good cheer” for the Lord Jesus Christ has “overcome the [evils of this] world.” The Scriptures also tell us that “the time is coming that whoever kills [us] will think that he offers God service” (John 16:2). This reality has been lived for two millennia, through the reign of Diocletian, and continues until today as we still witness targeted persecution throughout the world. In facing these struggles throughout history, too many precious lives have been lost, and this is why we must advocate for the safeguarding of every life, so that many more do not continue to suffer on our watch.

As we prepare for feasts and celebrations: Christmas in the Gregorian calendar, the New Year, the Feast of the Nativity in the Julian calendar, and Epiphany, sharing them with family and friends around us, there are families that will not be coming together, and communities that will not be celebrating, as a result of this great loss. We remember and pray for them all, and assure them that they will not be forgotten. We also live confident that if we, as limited imperfect beings, are moved by their loss and suffering in this way, that our perfect, all-loving, all-powerful, and all-just God hears their cries and will by no means forsake or forget them, but strengthen, support and comfort them as only He can.

*Ends*