The Coptic Orthodox Diocesan
Liturgical Choir chants at an ecumenical Advent Service celebrating Christian
Witness at Westminster Abbey with His Majesty The King
Copyright: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
10 December 2025
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos
OBE, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the United
Kingdom and the Coptic Orthodox Diocesan Liturgical Choir were present at a
special advent service in Westminster Abbey on 10 December 2025, celebrating
Christian Witness, with His Majesty King Charles III in attendance.
Copyright: Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London
In his message to the congregation, His Majesty King
Charles III, said:
“It is a great joy to gather with you in the most glorious setting of
Westminster Abbey as we celebrate the light, hope and, above all, the peace of
this season of Advent.
This period is one of preparation, of readying ourselves and looking
forward to the wonder of Christ’s birth. Today, we gather for prayer,
reflection and music, and to celebrate the Good News in which all Christians
rejoice: those around us, and those in areas where it is not easy to live out
one’s faith. I am so pleased to be joined by church leaders from across the
U.K. and Middle East, leaders of other faiths, charity representatives, and so
many of you who contribute to your communities in a myriad of ways.
We come together this morning to lift our voices in that magnificent
Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The Hebrew word ‘Emmanuel’ means
‘God is with us’. He is with us in our sorrows and in our grief. As we sing
today, we anticipate Christ’s coming into our world, in everlasting hope that
He will:
Dispel the
long night’s lingering gloom,
And pierce the shadows of the tomb.
May I wish you and your families every blessing of peace, joy and love
in this holy season.”
Copyright: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
The service was ecumenical in
nature, with the Abbey Choir, the Coptic Orthodox Diocesan Liturgical Choir, and
the Syriac Orthodox Choir singing advent hymns respectively. The Dean of Westminster,
The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle KCVO MBE, presided over the service. Bishop
Mike Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England gave a reading, and
The Reverend Archdeacon Dr George Tsourous chanted the Gospel in Greek. The
sermon was delivered by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe OP, and prayers
were offered by His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, His Eminence Archbishop
Nikitas, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, His Grace Bishop Hovakim,
Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland, and The Most
Reverend Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East
along with Canons Jamie Hawkey and Helena Bickley-Percival . A testimony was
given by Ribqa Nevash, a 25 year old woman from Pakistan, who spoke of
religious persecution experienced in her home country, and the privilege of
celebrating Christmas openly in the United Kingdom.
Copyright: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
The service was attended by
approximately one thousand people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds, and carried
on an annual tradition of celebrating advent with a focus on diverse Christian
Witness, in the presence of His Majesty the King.
Copyright: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
Speaking of the relevance and
importance of these annual advent services, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos
said:
“I remember
being contacted by the office of His then Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales,
regarding his desire to visit our community to express solidarity with
Christians of the Middle East. That, in and of itself, was an incredible
gesture and one that was so encouraging, not only to our own community, but to
other communities that have been visited since then. The fact that these services
have continued since 2013, with His Majesty returning to us in his Coronation Year
in 2023, is testament to his commitment to the support of Christian communities
around the world, but also to his commitment to an engagement with communities
here in Britain and the importance he places on engagement at that level.
During this
year, which marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, it is
particularly important that Christians gather, and to be together within
Westminster Abbey is both encouraging and provides a greater sense of unity.
We have so
valued these services, and I pray that they will continue as a platform, not
only for communities to engage with His Majesty, but also to gather the
Christian family at a time during which we prepare to receive the Infant Christ
and the hope that He brings to the world.”
After the service His Eminence
Archbishop Angaelos had the opportunity to greet and speak with His Majesty,
and present him with an icon of the Blessed Nativity, written by iconographer
Fadi Mikhail.
Copyright: The Dean and Chapter of Westminster
His Majesty The King, then His
Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, first visited The Coptic Orthodox Church
Centre in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2013 for the first of a series of advent
services, after expressing concern about the challenges facing Christians in
some Middle-East nations, and to meet members of those communities resident in
the United Kingdom. King Charles III returned to The Centre on 5 December 2023 for
an Advent Service and Christmas Reception attended by over six hundred guests
from the Coptic Orthodox clergy and community in the United Kingdom, the House
of Lords and House of Commons, the Diplomatic Corps, the Foreign Commonwealth
Office, humanitarian, and advocacy organisations, as well as ecumenical and
interreligious guests.
Coptic Orthodox Church UK Media and Communications Office
Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe) Media and Communications Office
The Coptic Orthodox Church marks ‘Contemporary Martyrs Day’ with Messages from
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, and His Holiness Pope Francis, and addresses by The
Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Koch, Fiona Bruce MP, The Bishop of Truro, and
a panel of distinguished guests
16 February 2021
‘Contemporary Martyrs Day’ is
marked annually by The Coptic Orthodox Church to commemorate the anniversary of
the 21 Libya Martyrs who were murdered by Isis on 15 February 2015 in Libya. It
has also been established to commemorate members of the Coptic Orthodox Church
who have lost their lives in contemporary history as a result of religious
persecution. The commemoration was initially established during a meeting of
the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
To mark the day this year, a
webinar was hosted by Refcemi (The Coptic Orthodox Office for Advocacy and
Public Policy) and The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London, under the auspices of
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and
Founder and Director of Refcemi.
Archbishop Angaelos gave
context to the webinar by explaining that advocacy initiatives on behalf of the
Coptic Orthodox Church stem from centuries of persecution experienced by its
community, saying:
“The
Coptic Orthodox Church is in a unique place, through its own experience of
persecution across the centuries, to speak for those of all faiths and none who
continue to suffer today, and it is for this reason that we gather to raise
awareness and advocate for those who are not in a position to speak for
themselves.”
Addresses from the panel
focused on Freedom of Religion or Belief in the broadest sense, touching on
communities that continue to suffer marginalisation and persecution as a result
of their religious beliefs, especially the ongoing plight of Christian
communities worldwide; approximately 80% of the world’s persecuted religious
believers are Christian, as documented in The Bishop of Truro’s report[1].
Speakers also addressed the plight of the Uighur and Rohingya Muslim
communities, and others that are suffering ongoing violations of their
religious freedoms.
The event included a video
message from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of
the See of Saint Mark, and a video message of solidarity from His Holiness Pope
Francis I, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
After the video messages, addresses were given by a distinguished panel of
senior religious leaders, politicians, advocates, and others, which included:
The Most Reverend and Right
Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury His Eminence Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity His Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, The Apostolic Nuncio to
Great Britain His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Director of Refcemi and
Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London The Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, The Bishop of Truro The Lord Alton of Liverpool, UK House of Lords Fiona Bruce MP, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion
or Belief Mervyn Thomas CMG, Founder President of Christian Solidarity
Worldwide Neville Kyrke-Smith, Chairman ofAid to the Church in Need Martin Mosebach, Author of ‘The 21’
In his message, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II emphasised the importance of keeping
the Church’s history and heritage of martyrdom alive and in the consciousness
of its members so as to inspire and encourage Faith in adversity.His Holiness also spoke about the many ways in which Christians can live
a faithful life of witness, and shared contemplations on what the martyrdom of
the men in Libya means for the Christian family of believers.
Reflecting
on martyrdom His Holiness said:
“It is true that we are proud of the Faith of all
martyrs, who can face death with courage to witness to their Faith, yet we
cannot by any means tolerate persecution, a word that should be wiped out of
the dictionary of humanity. We also have great faith in the value of human
life, which is a gift from God and no man has the right to end human life by
any means.
It is well understood by all Christians that
witnessing our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is joyful, even if it is through
giving our life. That is why we today celebrate the commemoration of our
beloved martyrs of Libya, and all martyrs of Faith with complete understanding
of the verse ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21).”
Contemplating on the life and witness of the
Libya Martyrs, His Holiness Pope Francis said:
“They,
are our Saints, Saints belonging to all Christians, Saints of all
Christian denominations and traditions. They are those who have washed their
lives white in the blood of the Lamb…they have received the greatest gift a
Christian can ever receive: to bear witness to Jesus Christ to the point of
giving his own life.”
“I
thank the bishops, and the priests of our sister Coptic Church who have brought
them up, and taught them to grow in the Faith. And I thank the mothers of these
men, these twenty-one men, who have passed the faith to them…in a dialect which
goes beyond languages, the dialect of belonging.
“I
join all of you, my brother bishops, present at this commemoration. To you,
great and beloved Tawadros, my brother bishop and friend. To you, Justin Welby,
who also wanted to participate at this meeting. I also join all the other
bishops and priests, but above all the holy faithful people of God who in its
simplicity, with its fidelity and infidelities, with its graces and sins,
carries forward the confession of Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is Lord.”
The Lord Alton of Liverpool spoke
of the ongoing plight of the Muslim Uighur community, and other persecuted
communities in various parts of the world. He also highlighted the witness of
Matthew Ayariga, a man from Ghana who was martyred alongside the 20 Coptic
Christians on 15 February 2015, saying:
“It
was so fitting that, in September 2020, Matthew’s mortal remains were taken to
Egypt so that he could be buried, alongside those other remarkable men, in the
church of the Martyrs of Faith bult in Al Our. For me, the key point about Matthew Ayariga
was that in a truly remarkable – supreme - act of solidarity he was willing to
give his liberty and his life rather than walk away from his Coptic brothers. What
a contrast to our indifference to the persecution of 250 million Christians
worldwide.”
“His
act of extraordinary solidarity shames so many of us when we consider our tepid
response – often based on political expediency, institutional considerations,
or trade and business – to the persecution which is experienced by religious
and ethnic groups the world over – discrimination that morphs into persecution;
then persecution which morphs into crimes against humanity; and then ultimately
into the crime above all crimes, genocide.”
“The
Coptic tradition of Christianity has so much to teach us – not least their
experience and understanding of endless centuries of discrimination,
persecution, and martyrdom…Heroic bravery in the face of evil demands a better
response from us – even if it is only a pale imitation of the remarkable act of
solidarity by Matthew Ayariga on that deadly beach in Libya in 2015.”
Reflecting on ‘the ecumenism of blood’, The
Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby,Archbishop
of Canterbury said:
“The reality
of the ‘ecumenism of blood’ is felt on this day as we commemorate the modern martyrs.
It reminds us, and I am reminded too by a fellow bishop in the Church of England
who is themselves from a family where there is a modern martyr, that ecumenism
and solidarity are with the persecuted, for we are united to them by
their blood, it is not just something we feel for the persecuted, or
that we stand towards the persecuted; with is the key word.”
“If we
are going to be with them, whether it is the 21 martyrs in Libya, and I still remember the horror of that news, or whether it is in Nigeria, or so many
other parts of the world, we are there to listen as well as to speak ---more to
listen, to be in solidarity with them.”
Fiona Bruce MP, the Prime Minister’s Special
Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, gave an encouraging address on how the
UK Government is working to protect Freedom of Religion or Belief worldwide in
light of ongoing violations taking place:
“It is a privilege to follow
such eminent champions of Freedom of Religion or Belief, and it is therefore in
a spirit of humility that I speak as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for
Freedom of Religion or Belief to commemorate those who have been martyred and
to affirm Freedom of Religion or Belief as a fundamental right of every human
being, a right to which the Prime Minister himself is resolutely committed.”
Quoting the Prime Minister, she continued:
“We
all know that wherever Freedom of Religion or Belief is under attack, other
human rights are under attack as well. We will continue to work closely with
like-minded partners to stand up for members of such marginalised communities.”
Highlighting the worsening situation of certain
marginalised communities, a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the
scapegoating and discrimination they are facing in terms of receiving food, aid
and healthcare, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy said:
“And
yet, may I encourage you that today there is also growing international awareness
of such violations and increasing advocacy on behalf of victims of persecution
and the UK is showing itself to be a global leader in this, protecting and
promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief is a key human rights priority for our Government.”
The Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, The Bishop of
Truro, who was tasked with ‘The Independent Review of the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office Response to Christian Persecution’, spoke of the steps that
the UK Government is taking to promote Freedom of Religion or Belief,
especially in light of the Truro Report, and said:
“The net result of all this is
that the fundamental human right of Freedom of Religion or Belief and a
recognition of its widespread abuse is on the political agenda in the UK in a
way that it simply has not been before, and furthermore it would now be very
hard to remove it from that agenda. Perhaps the key recommendation of my review
is that implementation should be fully reviewed three years on from
publication; so the clock is ticking and it is absolutely vital that this issue
remains high on the political agenda.”
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Director
of Refcemi and Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London concluded the webinar
by saying:
“What we are talking about
here is not an attack on the Coptic Orthodox Church, or Coptic Orthodox Christians, because there is no monopoly
of suffering or persecution. For to
persecute is to dehumanise, to commodify, to take away the image and likeness of God that is within and that is at the
core of our humanity.”
“Through the witness of the 21
we have learned resilience, we have learned generosity, we have learned
graciousness, we have learned to love quite literally those who seek to kill
us, and we have learned to forgive, and so we are thankful for their witness.”
“As Christians this is our
calling, who we are, we would not be true to ourselves if we do not advocate
and stand together for people of all faiths and none, because we all share that
humanity…when we stand against oppression and against persecution, we gain,
because our humanity is enriched.”
Concluding with Scripture, Archbishop Angaelos
said:
“We are hard-pressed on every
side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but
not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
*Ends*
More Information:
‘Refcemi’ The Coptic Orthodox Office for Advocacy and
Public Policy: www.Refcemi.org
Statement from His Eminence Archbishop
Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London on alarming images and videos
emerging from Jerusalem of the treatment of Coptic clergy
24 October 2018
Alarming images and videos have emerged from
Jerusalem today of the unacceptable and excessive use of force by Israeli
police on Coptic monks and deacons as they lawfully protested the execution of
an order that contravenes a standing Israeli Supreme Court ruling on property in
favour of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Coptic clergy,
accompanying His Eminence Archbishop Antonios, Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan
Archbishop of Jerusalem, were peacefully demonstrating at the Sultan Monastery
in Jerusalem’s Old City, officially the property of the Coptic Orthodox
Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Urgent restoration work has been needed for some
time, and the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate had offered on numerous occasions to
carry out the required work itself, but was refused. This work is now being
carried out by Israeli authorities on their own terms, without the approval of
the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, and while preventing Archbishop Antonios
access throughout.
According to the 1971 Israeli Supreme Court ruling, the Coptic Orthodox Church was given sole rights over the
Sultan Monastery, but to-date Israeli authorities have failed to implement the
ruling, giving rise to unnecessary dissatisfaction, confusion, tension, and
violent and forceful behaviour against the Coptic community on numerous occasions.
This situation can be alleviated with the execution of
the aforementioned standing Supreme Court ruling of 1971 in favour of the
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
With this alarming and escalating situation,
we pray safety and peace for His Eminence Archbishop Antonios and his clergy
and community in Jerusalem. We also pray wisdom, discernment, and true
visionary and reconciliatory leadership for Israeli authorities, as they find a
legitimate path through this now complex situation in the very birthplace of
Christianity, especially as it affects a community that represents the largest
Christian presence in the Middle East, continues to face persecution, is
recognised and respected around the world for its spirit of forgiveness and
reconciliation, and has had a peaceful and contributing presence in Jerusalem
and the Holy Lands for millennia.
