Statement by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom following the brutal murder of Coptic Christians in Libya
15 February 2015
It is with deep feelings of sorrow and pain that we received
confirmation earlier this evening of the brutal murder of Coptic Christians in
Libya at the hands of Daesh (IS). While every life is sacred and every death
tragic, the particular brutality demonstrated in this instance and others like
it shows not only a disregard for life but a gross misunderstanding of its
sanctity and equal value in every person.
Our prayers are particularly with the families of these
young Coptic men, who were fathers, brothers, sons and friends of many within
their tight-knit rural communities, in which their absence will cause significant
loss and sorrow. Their families are not only deprived of breadwinners who had
travelled to Libya to support them, but of the joy that they bring when they
return.
While it may seem illogical or incomprehensible, we also
pray for those who have carried out these horrific crimes, that the value of
God's creation and human life may become more evident to them, and in this
realisation, that the wider effects of pain brought by this and other acts of
brutality may be realised and avoided. We pray for an end to the dehumanisation
of captives who become mere commodities to be bartered, traded and negotiated
with.
We cannot remember our Coptic brothers without also
remembering all those who have lost their lives in equally brutal
circumstances: journalists, aid workers, medical staff, religious leaders, a
young pilot and communities that are considered incompatible with a fringe and
intolerant element.
In the midst of this sorrow however, we must continue to dig
deeper for the joy that comes from an understanding that this life is but a "vapour that appears
for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14), and that true
glory and joy are found in an eternal life prepared for all those who live in
and for love and peace.
It is only through this understanding that we can continue
to live according to the words of 1 Peter 3:15 as demonstrated in the life and witness
of the Coptic Church and her children over centuries, "...always be ready
to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in
you..."
*Ends*
News interviews with His Grace regarding the murder of Coptic Christians in Libya:
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| BBC World Interviews HG Bishop Angaelos following the murder of Copts in Libya |
