Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office
Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
Media and Communications Office
Syrian Patriarch speaks at House of Lords meeting
29 November 2016
On 28
November 2016 a meeting was held with the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox
Church at the House of Lords, hosted by The Lord Alton of Liverpool, at the invitation of His Grace Bishop
Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom.
The meeting, held under Chatham House
Rules, gave opportunity for interested parliamentarians, diplomats, religious
leaders and members of advocacy and human rights organisations, to listen to
His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, one of Syria’s leading figures
and one of its senior Christian leaders. The current situation in Syria, the
suffering of its Christian communities and how others abroad can be of
assistance, was discussed.
During the course of the meeting,
concerns were raised over the nature of media coverage of events in Syria, and
its lack of coverage of suffering communities in Western Aleppo. The concerns
of the Syrian community, both Muslim and Christian, over British foreign policy
and its potential long-term effects were raised.
The efforts of the Church in Syria to
support and care for all members of the community indiscriminately, despite a
lack of resources, were outlined. Following the meeting The Baroness Cox and The
Lord Cormack both raised questions in a debate in the House of Lords concerning
the situation in Aleppo.
After the meeting, Bishop Angaelos
said:
“I am pleased that numerous members of
parliament and the British community were given opportunity to listen to His
Holiness, who is not merely a leader, but someone who lives in Syria among his
flock, and who understands the gross challenges faced by Syrians. It is time
for us to stop speaking about people in Syria, and start speaking and
listening to them, in order to ascertain their needs and to try our
utmost to meet them.
While thankful for the generosity and
humanitarian aid already provided by Her Majesty’s government and the British
public to suffering communities in the Middle East, what has become
increasingly more evident is that Churches in Syria are left to their own devices
to provide for those suffering, both Christian and Muslim, as a result of the
ongoing war and crisis.
With limited resources and little to no
funding from government bodies, Churches are playing a crucial role in helping
to provide for the most vulnerable, and to hold communities together at a time
when they themselves are under threat. The time is now for us all to do what we
can to act to support their efforts, and to ensure that the most vulnerable are
protected and not left to suffer under our watch.
Having said that, we give thanks for the clear message of Christian hope consistently lived and demonstrated by our sisters and brothers in Syria, and continue to pray that calm, peace and safety may once again be restored to their land and communities.”
Having said that, we give thanks for the clear message of Christian hope consistently lived and demonstrated by our sisters and brothers in Syria, and continue to pray that calm, peace and safety may once again be restored to their land and communities.”
In the days before the meeting, Bishop
Angaelos attended the consecration of St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, with
His Holiness Patriarch Aphrem II, which was also attended by His Royal Highness
The Prince of Wales, and attended liturgy at the Cathedral with the Patriarch before
welcoming him to a community reception at St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in
London.
