30 October 2012
It was my great pleasure to have witnessed one of the most
memorable events to date in the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the
United Kingdom, Coptic Vespers in St Margaret's Church Westminster Abbey, the
parish church for the Palace of Westminster, the House of Commons.
One of the proudest and most uplifting moments was seeing
our Coptic deacons, priests and HG Bishop Angaelos and HE Metropolitan Seraphim
in a procession with bishops and clergy from our sister Orthodox Churches, the
Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and a variety of other Churches
and denominations, all united with one accord.
Being the first service of its kind, the Coptic community
and its guests chanted praises alongside some of the United Kingdom's most
influential parliamentary figures including the Rt. Hon Alistair Burt MP,
Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Foreign and the Rt. Hon John Bercow
MP, Speaker of the House of Commons.
In an introduction by The Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Rector
of St Margaret’s Church, the Coptic community and guests were warmly welcomed
on behalf of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey.
In his sermon, His Grace Bishop Angaelos reminded us that
despite the struggles in Egypt, there is so much for us to be thankful for,
particularly compared to the plight of our brothers and sisters in Syria and
throughout the Middle East. He spoke of the significance of the Coptic New Year
for which we were gathered to celebrate, marking the start of the Coptic
calendar, which commences from the most severe period of persecution in the
history of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Referring to the Remembrance Day, Bishop
Angaelos noted that in both these events we do not commemorate the war or
bloodshed, but rather the bravery and resilience of those involved.
His Grace then shared the verse, ‘I will give you a new
heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of
your flesh and give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26). The heart of flesh
is our natural state as the image and likeness of God, and is the heart that
every single person was born with, but that is sometimes hardened by the
corruption of life over time. The God-given heart of flesh is one that loves
and respects equally, and does not discriminate regardless of person or
situation. The concluding message was that we always have hope in God, Who will
guide this new Coptic Year and bring peace to Egypt, the Middle East and the
whole world.
The Rt. Hon Alistair Burt then addressed the issue of
persecution in Egypt and reiterated that Britain will always do everything in
its power to eliminate religious discrimination in Egypt. Similar words were
spoken by the Rt. Hon John Bercow (below), who also echoed the importance and
significance of the Coptic Community in the United Kingdom.
In this unforgettable night of unity and fellowship within
the walls of the one thousand year old Church of St Margaret Westminster Abbey,
hosting the ritual service of the two thousand year old Coptic Orthodox Church,
we raised our prayers with the incense to our Lord, to keep us united as one in
this great nation of Britain, our new home, and to bring peace and prosperity
to our blessed country Egypt.
