Reflection by His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, following the fire in Abu Sefein Church, Imbaba, Egypt

 Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
                      Media and Communications Office

Reflection by His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos,
Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, following the fire in Abu Sefein Church, Imbaba, Egypt

15 August 2022

It is with great sadness that we received news yesterday of the tragic loss of life caused by a fire in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Abu Sefein in Imbaba, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. To-date 41 precious lives, many of whom are children, have been lost, and scores of people remain injured. What is even more tragic, is that due to the nature of Liturgical attendance, many of these fatalities and injuries were multi-generational, with families mourning numerous members.  

As many bury their loved ones today, and others support survivors in hospitals and at home, we pray repose for those who have sadly departed, comfort for those who mourn them, healing for those who will bear the physical and emotional scars, and support for the families and communities that will continue to recover from this tragedy over the coming weeks, months and even years.

While much is being said about the cause of the fire, and the response time of emergency services, this must be left to what we hope and expect will be a robust and transparent investigation. For now, we focus on those most in need of our care and attention.

I am so touched by the outpouring of support that I personally, as well as many of my colleagues, have received from friends and acquaintances across Britain and around the world. Their gracious care, and the assurance of their thoughts and prayers, will be a source of great strength and support for our sisters and brothers in Imbaba and around the world.

Two bittersweet realities arise from this tragedy. The first is that Churches in Egypt are filled by the faithful on a regular basis, and so when tragedy strikes it strikes at a high cost, and at the heart of the community. The second is that tragedy creates a platform for us to recognise and value one another while experiencing each other’s pain and comforting one another through our suffering.

These tragic moments inevitably lead people from all walks of life to empathise with the suffering of mothers and fathers who weep for their children, children who have lost parents, families who have been torn apart, and friends separated. It is in that shared experience that we find hope in our common humanity, and ability to understand, grieve with, respect and value one another and the sanctity of life that we all share.

Assured of the promise and power of the Resurrection, we bid farewell to those who have departed from this world, and pledge to pray for and support those who remain with us, so deeply affected by this harrowing experience.

*Ends*

The names of those who have departed:

Ereny Atef Ramzy   

Magda Nabih Habib

Demiana Zakaria Zaki        

Mariam Tamer Wagih        

Parsina Tamer Wagih        

Abraam Tamer Wagih        

Mina Saleh Fakher 

Father Abd El Messiah Bekhiet    

Mirna Atef Ramzy   

Adel Agib Ayoub     

Nadia Said Botros

Mahriel Bassem Amen       

Youssef Bassem Amen     

Philopater Bassem Amen  

Mary Naim Amer     

Kirollos Ramy Arian

Mina Ashraf Azmy   

Farg Kamal Farg     

Romany Ezzat Gad

Kirollos Nour Ataa   

Ereny Refaat

Millionare Refaat     

Nady Edward           

Mary Edward

Jomana Edward      

Elaria Ashraf

Samia Ishak 

Kirollos Saber          

Bishoy Saber

Marista Saleh          

Mirna Moussa          

Basta Ebied 

Shenouda Dandash

Abd El Malak Hanna

Rania Lamie

Zakaria Mounir        

Nawal Haleeb          

Arzak Abdou

Nadine Fayed Zakaria        

Dawood Farah         

Nady Ishak   

Statement by His Grace Bishop Angaelos regarding the brutal murder of Coptic Orthodox priest Fr Samaan in Cairo

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

                                Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox priest brutally murdered in Cairo

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

12 October 2017  

Another day in Egypt with another Coptic Christian murdered; this time a priest from Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, who was in Cairo collecting humanitarian aid for vulnerable members of his parish. Fr Samaan was paying a pastoral visit to a family in Cairo and returned to the church where he was earlier to collect his mobile phone. On the way, he was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant who chased him, stabbed him repeatedly, and then brutally killed him.

This incident makes us once again ask so many questions. Why should a priest not be able to walk safely down a street, especially a suburban street in Cairo? Why should he be chased by a man brandishing a deadly weapon and have no one run to his aid; in actual fact, everyone was running away. Why, when he lay drenched in his own blood did the ambulance service not arrive for over an hour, and then not treat him? Why, when the police finally arrived, and he lay dead, was a crime scene not secured and forensic evidence not collected to enable a robust and serious investigation? Why is his assailant immediately deemed mentally incapable without professional diagnosis, and why, if he is incapable, and a known violent criminal, is he left in the community with weapons within his reach? 

After the initial shock and the immense sadness, today is a day that brings anger and I am not apologetic for that anger. I would be just as angry if this was any other person being dealt with in this way, in any other part of Egypt or indeed any other part of the world. Yet he is a Christian, a Coptic Christian, and a Coptic priest, which makes it all the more close and all the more painful.

Just this week I have been with a Coptic delegation from Cairo seeking grants to serve not only the Coptic community but the wider Egyptian community. Grants that would cover health, education and poverty eradication. Where was this wider Egyptian community however when Father Samaan ran terrified through a street being chased by a violent criminal, and where was it when he lay dying and alone? Where was it when the assailant attacked him repeatedly, and where will it be while his family and congregation grieve the loss of their father, husband, brother, pastor and friend? These are questions that need to be addressed at every level of Egyptian community and leadership.

Crime cannot be totally eradicated, but at least it needs to be properly investigated, prosecuted, and shown to be a violation against the whole state and not just its immediate victim.

The immense pain of this incident and all that have preceded it, including: child kidnapping, forced conversion, individual targetting, bus attacks and church bombings against the Coptic Orthodox community in Egypt, leads us to hold more strongly onto the words of our Lord God in Exodus 3:7: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry…for I know their sorrows.” Coptic Christians who have endured injustice, persecution, and loss of life for centuries without retaliation, repeatedly forgiving unconditionally, deserve to live with respect and dignity in their indigenous homeland.

While recognising that anger may often open a path to hatred or resentment, there are times at which it is a natural expression of a human emotion, and reaction to a sense of deep injustice. I am sure that I am not alone in my anger, but that it is shared by every law-abiding person of any belief and indeed of none, who has witnessed this vicious and inhumane attack. In the midst of this anger and this sadness however I continue to pray. I pray repose for Father Samaan, I pray for his family, I pray for his community. I pray for the wider Egyptian Christian community that feels more and more vulnerable and targeted daily against a backdrop of negligence and injustice. I pray for the wider Egyptian society, that becomes more and more discredited and compromised as these incidents continue to happen.

This anger is not void of forgiveness, but cries out for accountability and justice. 

*Ends*

For more information please e-mail the Director of Communications via Media@CopticCentre.com

HG Bishop Angaelos comments a day after brutal bombing and murder of 25 people in St Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo

HG Bishop Angaelos comments a day after brutal bombing and murder of 25 people in St Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo

12 December 2016

Today is a day of many emotions: sadness, nervousness, uncertainty, and understandably even anger at times. That is because yesterday was a day in which we witnessed the worst of humanity, when innocent women and children who decided to worship their God in their spiritual home had their lives needlessly and senselessly ended without warning. They were used as pawns; a means to an end. To the perpetrators of this heinous crime, their lives clearly held no greater value than scribbles on a strategic page; a plan that was to be executed for a cause to which they were merely incidental, collateral damage. Yesterday we saw beautiful lives lost, families separated and broken, and whole communities grieving; a truly painful time that has not only affected Coptic Christians, but Egyptian society at large, Muslims and Christians alike, and millions around the world.

Crimes will always be perpetrated and criminals will continue to exist, but such a strategic, vicious act is difficult to comprehend. It is indeed difficult to understand how a person might plan and execute such a horrific, ruthless and barbaric plot against innocent women and children. The only way to do this is to completely disregard the relevance, value and sanctity of any life potentially affected by these actions.

In recent decades, we have seen recurring acts of violence against Christians and Christian communities in Egypt. Time and time again, very few, if any, perpetrators have been brought to justice, and we subsequently continue to witness an escalation of these attacks. This is not a matter of blame, but accountability, with an expectation that barbaric acts such as these should never occur, but if they do, that their perpetrators are rightly and fairly held to account. This is not a call for vengeance, but a deterrent against similar future plans and aspirations. 

We are thankful for the overwhelming outpouring of emotion and support that we have personally received from friends, and even indeed strangers, around the world in response to this horrific and heartbreaking attack, but it is unfathomable that at the same time, others have politicised this atrocity by actually laying blame on those targeted, maimed and killed because of the perceived political stance of Christians in Egypt. They have even gone so far as to imply that Christians and the Church were somehow complicit in this crime to gain sympathy, allegedly using their daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers as means to a ludicrous contrived political end.

As Christians, we have hope in the belief that good will prevail despite the seemingly increasing evil in our world. Life will certainly go on and atrocities such as these will by no means defeat us. Today, tomorrow and the next day will continue to bring new beginnings and greater resilience, but there will continue to be a deep effect on many that may remain with them for weeks, months, and even years to come.

As Christians, we also believe in forgiveness, but forgiveness is by no means synonymous with ignoring justice. Forgiveness ensures that our own hearts are not entangled in a web of anger and resentment, or corrupted by feelings of hatred or revenge. Forgiveness is ultimately liberating and empowering, but at the same time, justice is essential; not for the purposes of punishment, but to secure and protect our societies in which people must respectfully live side by side.

Chapter 16 of the Gospel of Saint John tells us that in the world “we will have tribulation” but to be “of good cheer” for the Lord Jesus Christ has “overcome the [evils of this] world.” The Scriptures also tell us that “the time is coming that whoever kills [us] will think that he offers God service” (John 16:2). This reality has been lived for two millennia, through the reign of Diocletian, and continues until today as we still witness targeted persecution throughout the world. In facing these struggles throughout history, too many precious lives have been lost, and this is why we must advocate for the safeguarding of every life, so that many more do not continue to suffer on our watch.

As we prepare for feasts and celebrations: Christmas in the Gregorian calendar, the New Year, the Feast of the Nativity in the Julian calendar, and Epiphany, sharing them with family and friends around us, there are families that will not be coming together, and communities that will not be celebrating, as a result of this great loss. We remember and pray for them all, and assure them that they will not be forgotten. We also live confident that if we, as limited imperfect beings, are moved by their loss and suffering in this way, that our perfect, all-loving, all-powerful, and all-just God hears their cries and will by no means forsake or forget them, but strengthen, support and comfort them as only He can.

*Ends*

Statement by HG Bishop Angaelos after explosion kills at least 25 at St Peter's Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo

Al Jazeera English and BBCWorld  News Interview with HG Bishop Angaelos
Bomb kills 25 Coptic Orthodox worshippers during Sunday worship in Cairo

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

11 December 2016

It is with great sadness that we receive the news today of at least 25 people brutally murdered by an explosion during regular Sunday worship at St Peter’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, adjacent to the Grand Cathedral of Saint Mark.

Our prayers are with those whose lives have been so senselessly ended, those who have been injured, and every family and community affected. We also pray for every Coptic parish and community across Egypt as they fill their churches this morning, as well as for the broader Egyptian society that fall victim to similar inhumane attacks.

Many within our Coptic community in Britain will have family and friends in Egypt, and we also pray for them at this time of uncertainty. 

We share in this tragedy but are encouraged by the strength and resilience of our brethren in Egypt that we have grown accustomed to and learn from. We pray God’s peace and protection upon the Christians of Egypt, the broader Egyptian society, Christians around the world worshipping this morning and all faith communities that fall prey to similar attacks. 

Press Release: HH Pope Tawadros II consecrates bishops at The Grand Cathedral of St Mark, Cairo

Press Release

For immediate use

17 November 2013

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

Media and Communications Office 

The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church headed by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, 118^th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark, consecrated bishops to new responsibilities at the Grand Cathedral of St Mark on the weekend of 16 -17 November 2013.

At a Vespers service on the evening of Saturday 16 November, His Grace Bishop David was enthroned over the new diocese of New York and New England in the United States of America, and His Grace Bishop Selwanis was appointed abbot over the historic monastery of St Pakhomious near Luxor. At the Liturgical service on Sunday 17 November, Father Seraphim Al-Moharaqy was also consecrated as General Bishop for the diocese of Al Mahalah.

His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom and a member of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who took part in the consecration prayers at the ceremony in Cairo said:

“I celebrate with, and congratulate, my brothers on the occasion of their ordination. The consecration of a bishop to oversee Al Mahalah at the same time as the establishment of the new diocese of New York and New England signifies the breadth of the ministry of the Coptic Orthodox Church and its care for its children both in Egypt and around the world. At the same time, the appointment of His Grace Bishop Selwanis illustrates the continuing importance of the monastic life at the heart of the Church.

The spirit of the faithful as they received the bishops in the Grand Cathedral today was one of jubilation and love; a testament to their resilience and strength of character as they continue to be strong in their Faith despite the challenges faced in past months. I pray for my brothers the bishops and those entrusted to their care, that God may continue to bless their shared ministry from this time on.”

*Ends*

Press Release: HH Pope Tawadros II and 60 members of The Holy Synod enthroned 4 Bishops, consecrated 7

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate use
10 March 2013

The Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

The 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and over 60 members of the Holy Synod consecrated 7 bishops and enthroned 4 existing bishops on 10 March 2013 in the Grand Cathedral of St Mark, Cairo, Egypt.

Having taken part in the consecration service in Cairo, His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom commented from Cairo:

‘In the ever expanding ministry of The Coptic Orthodox Church, and with a greater focus on concentrated pastoral care, we have found a need to consecrate more bishops to fill vacant Diocese, to facilitate greater and more focused care for larger and older Diocese that have been divided upon the passing of their bishops, and to establish new diocese abroad. 

As the Church is the Body of Christ that lives and breathes, caring for her children, we see yet another sign of this dynamic existence continuing to bring light into the world at every level. 

We pray for our new bishops, their diocese, and the whole Body of Christ, as we continue to live and share His message and mission in the world.’

The four bishops enthroned are:
Bishop Daniel for Maadi and Albasateen
Bishop Theodosious for Giza
Bishop Botros for Shebin El Qanater
Bishop Mina for Mississauga and West Canada

The seven priests consecrated are: 
Fr Epiphanious El-Maqari as abbot of the monastery of St Macarious in Wadi el Natroun
Fr Maqar El-Baramousi for Al-Sharkaya
Fr Salib El-Samueli for Latmoum and its affiliated regions
Fr Zakaria El-Souriani for October City and Ouseem
Fr Youannes El-Souriani for Giza North
Fr Zosima El-Antouni for Atfih and El-Saf and their affiliated regions
Fr Youlyous Ava-Mina as general bishop for old Cairo

**Ends**

Any links or references to external articles do not represent the view of The Coptic Orthodox Church or The Coptic Orthodox Church Media and Communications Office.

Statement by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom on the eve of the January 2011 uprising and in response to the recent escalation of violence against Christians in Egypt.

The uprising in Tahrir Square on 25 January 2011 inspired the world as it saw Egyptians standing side-by-side in an effort to reclaim their national identity. There was hope for a new Egypt, one that could offer its people the freedom and responsibility of equal citizenship while no longer focusing on their religious or political stance. In my statement this time last year, I remember commenting that it was ‘indeed a turning point in Egypt's contemporary history. It is a time at which there can still be positive reform and the building of a new nation that is cohesive, and instills a sense of citizenship, ownership and responsibility into every Egyptian; ceasing to focus on the person's religious or political stance, but more on his or her contribution and accountability to a single nation state and equality before the law.’ It is unfortunate however, that two years down the line we have not seen sufficient signs of this transformation, and we still witness the marginalisation and alienation of many, Christians and Muslims alike, within Egyptian society, while repeatedly witnessing others committing crimes and not being brought to justice.

Indicative of this, is that over the last two weeks, violent incidents and targeted attacks on Christians in Egypt have escalated once again. Last week, in Fayoum, a hall and Sunday school building under construction, was destroyed by thousands emerging from a nearby Mosque after Friday prayers, reportedly justifying their actions by claims that the building would be used as a church. Security forces arrived after the building was completely destroyed, and to date no arrests have been made.

In a separate incident, on 18 January 2013, thousands of Muslim protestors in Qena attacked eight Coptic homes and businesses, torching Coptic-owned pharmacies and vehicles. A Cross was destroyed and property within the church of Abu Fam was damaged. These attacks came as a result of unqualified and now falsified rumours that a Christian man committed a sexual assault against a 6 year old Muslim girl. To safeguard its parishioners, the church was forced to cancel its Epiphany service so as not to subject them to unnecessary risk. As of yet, again, no charges have been made.

In a third incident, in Beba, Upper Egypt, a church building was forcibly taken over by a criminal gang, and converted into a drugs den after they had sold its contents. In this case once again, there was no intervention by local security forces.

Based on these three occurrences in the space of two weeks, we call for proper investigation into any acts of violence against individuals, groups, or communities, and the protection of places of worship, to ensure that there are no further attacks of this kind.

In light of these events, it is equally disturbing to see the unbalanced response in the recent reported court ruling, convicting a mother and her seven children to 15 years incarceration. The family that had converted back to Christianity from Islam, was reportedly found in possession of allegedly falsified documents. Unlike the aforementioned incidents in which no convictions have been made, the verdict handed down in the case Nadia Mohamed Ali and her children is, to say the least, severe. While we do not condone the falsification of official documents, it is worth clarifying, by way of explanation and not justification, that if the right process were in place to allow Egyptian citizens to freely choose their faith as regularly claimed, there would be no need for this practice.

It is stated on numerous occasions that there is ‘no compulsion in Islam’ and that Egyptians are free to choose their religion. On that basis, we ask for Nadia Mohamed Ali, her family, and all those involved in the case to be released from prison. Following on from this, and in considering the intensity of severe challenges facing Christians, and in line with the movement towards greater democracy, cohesion, and citizenship, we call for the serious consideration of the removal of one’s religion from official personal identification cards, so as to facilitate the treatment of all Egyptian citizens equally.

As we approach the second anniversary of the uprising in Tahrir Square, it is unfortunate that these incidents are by no means isolated. They are merely the latest in a continuous stream of discriminatory decisions facing Egyptians, Christians and Muslims alike, who wish to be treated equally, regardless of their religious or political beliefs. That said, we call upon Egypt’s government, judiciary, and officials to respect ‘freedom of belief and practicing religions’, as set out in President Mohammed Morsi’s news conference in Cairo last week.

Considering the significant sacrifice that has been presented over the past two years, even leading to the loss of life, it is time for Egypt to emerge out of the pattern of discriminatory practice, and take on its new identity of a promised democracy that the January 2011 uprising sought to establish.

We pray for the communities in Fayoum, Qena, and Beba while also praying for Nadia, her children, those involved in this case, and all those in a similar predicament who are in prison, facing imprisonment, or being victimised for merely desiring to exercise their God-given right to practice their chosen faith. We also pray for peace and safety on the streets of Egypt over these coming days, that there be no more injury, bloodshed, or mourning, and that the spirit of hope and resilience lives on in the hearts of those who desire positive reform and freedom.