Press Release: Lord Bourne meets with HG Bishop Angaelos to discuss the engagement of faith leaders with the Department for Communities and Local Government

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

 Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

Lord Bourne meets with HG Bishop Angaelos to discuss the engagement of faith leaders with the Department for Communities and Local Government

2 September 2016

On 1 September 2016, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, was received by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre. During the visit, discussions took place on matters relating to the state of Christians in the Middle East, Freedom of Religion or Belief around the world, and interfaith engagement and collaboration between faith leaders in the United Kingdom and Her Majesty’s Government.

After a tour of the Cathedral of Saint George with Lord Bourne, Bishop Angaelos said:

“Lord Bourne’s visit today sends a very clear message of his, and his department’s, desire to reach out to and work with local communities. As Christians we believe that we have been entrusted with a stewardship that calls us to engage and be active citizens within our communities, and it is important for us all to discover and pursue the full breadth of opportunity for collaboration at both the national and local level. By working together, we will ensure that our collective experience can be put to good use in portraying the will of the vast majority of British society for a peaceful, prosperous, safe and accepting nation.”

After the visit, Lord Bourne said:

“It was an honour to meet a true leader of the community, His Grace Bishop Angaelos.  His knowledge, passion and commitment to not only the Coptic Christian community but to the country as a whole was evident throughout our meeting. The Coptic Centre and the Cathedral of St. George are remarkable – an example to us all of what a community can do when it works together.”

Speaking on collaboration to an audience of over 700 MPs and Church and community leaders at the annual National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast on 15 June 2016, Bishop Angaelos said:

“We must realise that the current situation is greater than us all; it needs us all to work together…There can no longer be a concept of ‘over there’ because families of those affected in the Middle East are members of your constituencies, our Churches, and our society as a whole…We are one very large community…our paths cross, our experience is one and our journey is one that we must share.”

Bishop Angaelos went on to say:

“Regardless of which House one sits in, which Church one worships in, or indeed which faith one does or does not have, we must work together for the freedom and dignity of human life and speak with a collaborative voice.”

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Statement on the refugee crisis in Europe by HG Bishop Angaelos

For immediate use

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

Statement on the refugee crisis in Europe

By His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church
in the United Kingdom

4 September 2015 

Having seen heartbreaking images of the lifeless and abandoned body of young Aylan Kurdi lying alone on a beach in Turkey puts an all too gruesome optic to a matter either in the forefront or background of every mind over the past months. The images we have now become too accustomed to seeing may have desensitised some, but the horrific reality of the situation remains; thousands of people continue to risk all, even their lives, to seek the safety that we are thankfully free to live on a daily basis.

Whether it is Aylan, his family, or the countless thousands of others making the treacherous journey to flee conflict and find a better life, we must now realise that the solution to this crisis is greater than for individual Churches, religions, communities, or even states to address alone, and so a more universal, integrated and collaborative approach to make the best of limited human and material resources, must be sought.

The Church of Egypt is no stranger to the issue of asylum as it was Egypt that accepted and embraced the infant Christ and His family as refugees when they fled targeted and intentional persecution. It is indeed telling that while the world has apparently progressed over millennia since then, the problems and challenges remain the same.

As a Church with its roots in the Middle East we are very aware of the struggles faced by people in the region, Christians and others. It is essential that the plight of these refugees is not belittled or ignored, as they face very real challenges in their homelands, living with a daily threat to their livelihood and even existence.

At a time of increasing economic pressure in Europe and a greater fear of importing radical elements seeking to destabilise our communities, it is understandable that caution must be exercised. Having said that however, that caution should not mean a blanket rejection of the vast majority of those coming who are genuinely seeking safety for themselves and their families. What is concerning is abrasive rhetoric in the media and public sphere, leading to the constant dehumanisation of people who are undoubtedly victims of this conflict, to the extent that many now see them simply as an impending risk to their communities, putting aside their basic rights and needs. What we must realise is that many of these people, indigenous to their homelands, are not fleeing out of choice or preference but out of sheer necessity.

This is undoubtedly an extremely complex issue that involves geo-politics, global economics, European economies and borders, state and regional security, as well as an increasingly volatile Middle East, but as I have mentioned previously, we must not be prescriptive to people living in crisis on whether or not they should stay and fight in their war-torn countries, or flee for their lives. Whatever their choices may be, we must advocate to either safeguard their continued presence or provide an alternative if they cease to see a viable continuity in their homelands.

It is encouraging, that over the past few days there has been a greater intention and appetite for a pragmatic and compassionate response to this increasing refugee crisis in seeking practical solutions whatever they may be.

The Scriptures are timeless in their direction, and when the Lord God instructs His people to care for the widow, orphan, traveller and stranger (Deuteronomy 10:18) that was not meant exclusively for His immediate audience alone, but to the whole of humanity over time.

These challenging events remind us of the brokenness of our humanity, but as Christians we also recognise the ability of God to heal that brokenness. For that reason, we pray confidently for solutions in the homelands of those fleeing, the countries that may extend whatever hospitality they can, and above all, safety for many who make these dangerous journeys out of sheer desperation.   

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Press Release: His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom releases a statement highlighting the increasing incitement and violence threatening and claiming the lives of Christians in Egypt.

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate use

8 August 2013

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office

His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom releases a statement highlighting the increasing incitement and violence threatening and claiming the lives of Christians in Egypt. 

The statement comes shortly after a number of Egyptian and International human rights organisations warn of a wave of violence to come, with Amnesty InternationalUK, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and the U.S. Commissionon International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) releasing reports detailing the violence facing Copts since the ousting of the former president of Egypt.

In his statement, Bishop Angaelos said:

“Egypt cannot move forward while state apparatus does not hold people accountable for these unlawful hate crimes that stand to divide the country further, promoting increased polarisation at every level. Proactive efforts must be made towards promoting social cohesion and inclusion for all members of society so that this new phase of Egyptian history can be built upon true unity, collaboration, and reconciliation.”

In a report released in July 2013, Amnesty International UK stated:

 “First and foremost, the authorities must immediately take necessary measures to ensure security for Christians and other minorities and uphold their right to life and physical integrity.”

In August 2013, the EIPR released a report that stated:

“The undersigned organizations note the destructive effects both of the sectarian rhetoric used by some Islamists to incite against Christians and of the negligence demonstrated by security forces in protecting these citizens.”

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Resources:

Amnesty International Report, July 2013: http://bit.ly/164IkV0
EIPR Report, August 2013: http://bit.ly/1bC1I0q
USCIRF Annual Report 2013: http://1.usa.gov/135JPTy and http://1.usa.gov/14nF6h8