Media and Communications Office
Coptic Orthodox Church
United Kingdom
Press Release and Report
Messages received from His Majesty King Charles III, the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Holiness Pope Francis and the Prime Minister at the annual Coptic New Year (Nayrouz) Service at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey
17 October 2024
Messages for
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos OBE, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and
Papal Legate to the United Kingdom, and the Coptic Orthodox Community, were
received from His Majesty King Charles III, the Most Reverend Archbishop Justin
Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, His Holiness Pope Francis, and The Right
Honourable Keir Starmer MP, Prime Minister, as the 12th anniversary
of the annual Nayrouz (Coptic New Year) Service was held in St Margaret’s
Church, Westminster Abbey on 15 October 2024.
The annual service officially marks the beginning of the Coptic New Year, which is celebrated annually in the Coptic calendar on 11 September. The event serves to celebrate new beginnings and life, while commemorating the saints and martyrs of the Coptic Orthodox Church who, since the first century, lost their lives for remaining steadfast in their Faith. The commemoration also allows the Coptic Orthodox community to use its heritage of experience with religious persecution to advocate for people of all faiths and none, through Refcemi, its advocacy and public policy office, and to raise awareness of the plight of so many across the world who suffer violations of religious freedom.
The Right
Reverend Anthony Ball, said the following in his welcome:
“The Incarnate Word, God in flesh feels our pain. He instructs us
to feel one another's pain. He instructs us to put others before ourselves, because
that is indeed what God has done for us in the Incarnation; and that is what we
are called to do.”
“Today is also a celebration of something that is incredibly
important, it is a transformation of pain to power, because when we look at our
own pain, when we feel it, when we understand it and we channel that pain into
ensuring that others do not feel it, then we start to heal. If we dwell in our
own pain, if we continue to thrive on that feeling of victimhood then we are
disempowered, we are weakened and we become insulated to the pain and suffering
of others.”
His Eminence
concluded by speaking about the advocacy work of Refcemi:
“We out of our pain, advocate for others. Through our advocacy
office Refcemi, we speak for the Rohingya in Myanmar, the Uyghurs in China, the
Yazidis in Iraq, the Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, the Baha’is in Iran, Christians in
Nigeria and North Korea and around the world. That is not an exhaustive list
because there is much that we must do. We must indeed acknowledge our own pain,
and by acknowledging it, we must be able to feel the pain of others and try to
relieve it.”
“We must speak, we must act, we must be those, as we heard from
today's Gospel, who do all that we have been instructed to do. To preach a gospel of hope, to heal the broken heartedness of war and conflict, to proclaim
liberty to those who are captives of that same war and that same conflict, to
pray sight upon those who may be blinded by power and injustice and
self-interest. To advocate liberty for every person as long as they are
respecting the liberty of others, and to bring forth a light of hope and joy.”
The message of His
Majesty King Charles III to His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos and the Coptic
Orthodox Church community for the occasion read:
“On this day of reflection, I wish to express my heartfelt
admiration for the strength and solidarity of your community. The spirit of forgiveness
and the enduring values of humanity that you uphold serve as a shining example
to us all, reminding us of the vital importance of unity and partnership.
As you look ahead to the coming year, I extend my most sincere hopes that it will be filled with peace, hope, and blessings for all present, as well as for the Coptic Orthodox Church community here in Britain and across the world.”
In his message, Archbishop Justin said:“I pray that the Lord will continue to pour out his blessings on
you and your Church. Yours is an ancient Christian tradition which has endured
much suffering over the years, and yet has survived and thrived, even in the
most difficult of circumstances, and in the very different conditions of
migration and diaspora. What a witness you and your people are to the enduring
love of God!”
“His Holiness Pope Francis, informed of the Service Commemorating the Coptic Feast of Nayrouz to take place at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, on Tuesday 15th October 2024, sends his greetings of good wishes to all gathered for this occasion, remembering as he recently remarked, that “the true driving force [of Christian Unity] is the Holy Spirit Who guides us toward greater communion…This unity is a gift whose timing and manner we cannot foresee and grows through the mutual service through the dialogue of life and through the cooperation of all Christians”. The Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic blessing to all participating in the Service and, through the intercession of the Mother of God, invokes an abundance of Divine graces.”
The Right Honourable Keir Starmer MP, Prime Minister included the following in his message to His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos:
“I am grateful
for the faithful witness and constant compassion of the Coptic Orthodox Church
in the United Kingdom. Your congregations pursue social justice, care for the
vulnerable and enrich their local communities in so many ways. I am
particularly thankful for the role of the Coptic Orthodox Church in promoting
Freedom of Religion or Belief. I recognise that the history of your community
has been marked by terrible persecution and applaud your constant efforts to
reduce the numbers of people around the world who suffer similar oppression
today, as a result of their religious affiliations or personal beliefs.”
Dr Ewelina Ochab spoke of the work of Refcemi in advocating for people suffering gross violations of their religious freedom, saying:
“The Coptic Orthodox Office for Advocacy and Public Policy was
established out of a need to accommodate difficult conversations, and out of a need
for cooperation and collaboration. The need to listen, speak and impact. Refcemi
does this work with partners around the world, not only here in the UK with the
UK FoRB Forum among other partners, but across the world.”
“We cannot come together and celebrate this new year in this
festival of Nayrouz without recalling the earliest days of the Coptic Church.
In AD 284 in the time of Emperor Diocletian, Christians were persecuted. They
suffered for their Faith but today we recall that their sacrifice made the
Coptic community possible. They are honoured and remembered because of their
faith in God and their belief in redemption.”
“In parliament we count among our numbers many great figures of all
religions who have strived to end religious persecution. It is Faith itself
which brings them together and allows them to do such crucial work. So let us
resolve in this new Coptic year to be guided by such examples. To care for all
humanity, to debate with grace and humility, to always love one another and to
pursue justice without fear.”
Henrietta Blyth spoke about the National Week of Prayer that takes place from 12-20th October 2024 across the Nation, and called people to gather to pray for those suffering across the world, saying:
“We can give in practical ways. As the Archbishop has said, we can
speak out on behalf of our brothers and sisters who cannot speak out for
themselves, but perhaps most importantly, we can pray. Brother Andrew, who was
the founder of Open Doors who died a couple of years ago, said that prayer is
the real battle. He said our prayers can go where we cannot. There are no
borders, no prison walls, no doors closed to us when we pray. That's why it is
such a delight that this year, this Nayrouz service forms part of the National
Week of Prayer.”
Mervyn Thomas CMG in his address said:
“The list of challenges across the world which threaten freedom of religion or belief is long and of course there's a role for governments. There's a role for parliamentarians, but there's also a role for civil society and I believe all three of those groups need one another in the fight for freedom of religion or belief around the world.
Across the world, civil society
actors such as human rights defenders, journalists, religious leaders,
activists, NGO's and community leaders are using civic space to champion
initiatives that strengthen freedom of religion or belief and challenge
violations of this fundamental right.”
“Tragically, as we've been hearing from Mervyn, Henrietta and Ewelina, all over the world there continues to be no shortage of men and women whose blood continues to be spilled because of their faith. I've seen recent analysis which found that there are currently 61 countries
with combined populations of over 4.9 billion people in which severe violations
of religious freedom exist.”
He concluded by
saying:
“So this Nayrouz, I hope we will make a New Year's resolution to listen
far more carefully to communities like the Copts, the Chaldeans, and the
Armenians, the Assyrians and others who have paid such a high price for the
things that we take for granted, and have so much to teach us. We must listen but
we must also speak and act in solidarity. Those words of His Eminence this
evening ‘we are all called to change the world’ should be the words that we
take away from this Nayrouz ceremony.”
“This evening celebrates the British Coptic community and
recognises their efforts to aid those experiencing hardship around the world as
well as your longstanding commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in UK
society. These acts of kindness and generosity embody the values we should all
strive for. The Coptic community is a blessing to the UK society, and we
welcome your contribution to our local and national life. As the new year
begins, we embrace a fresh start, look ahead with hope and express gratitude
for our families, friends, and life’s simple blessings, including the freedom
to worship and practise beliefs without fear, rights denied to millions
worldwide. I pay tribute to the Church and to you, Your Eminence, for your
passionate advocacy for persecuted minorities and global religious freedom.”
He went on to
say:
“Faith and belief must remain central to our national conversation as we confront these challenges together. Faith identity is crucial for many, and understanding this aspect of individual and community life is essential for effective governance and fostering cohesion. I see much of my role as Faith Minister as championing the invaluable work being done by people across the country who are inspired by their faith.”
Reflecting the tapestry of cultural heritage in the United Kingdom, attendees to this year’s Nayrouz service included Members of the House of Lords and House of Commons, the Diplomatic Corps, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Home Office, humanitarian and advocacy organisations, ecumenical and interreligious guests, as well as members of the Coptic Orthodox clergy and community in the United Kingdom.
*Ends*
Resources
Coptic Orthodox Office for Advocacy and Public Policy www.Refcemi.org
Audio will be
made available via www.Soundcloud.com/ArchbishopAngaelos
Press Releases
and Statements can be found via www.CopticMediaUK.com
Archbishop
Angaelos on X @BishopAngaelos