Press Release: U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, listens to freedom of religion or belief concerns at a meeting with faith leaders in Lambeth Palace

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

                                Media and Communications Office

U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, listens to freedom of religion or belief concerns at a meeting with faith leaders in Lambeth Palace

9 May 2019

On 8 May 2019, an unprecedented meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, hosted by The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and attended by the Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Ambassador Johnson, US Ambassador to the UK, and UK-based faith leaders, was held at Lambeth Palace. The aim of the meeting was to allow faith leaders to present religious freedom concerns affecting communities worldwide, along with suggestions as to how such challenges can be addressed.
 

This meeting was a precursor to a ‘Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom’ which will be hosted by Secretary Pompeo in the United States in July of this year.

The faith leaders participating in the conversation at Lambeth Palace were: His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, His Grace Archbishop Kevin McDonald representing the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Imam Qari Asim, Chair of Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board, and Yousif Al-Khoei of the Al-Khoei Foundation.

The meeting came just days after the interim report on the persecution of Christians worldwide, commissioned by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, revealed that of the faith communities persecuted in the world, 80% are Christian. This also comes after attacks in recent weeks on praying communities in Christchurch, Pittsburgh and Sri Lanka, among others, as well as many other gross religious freedom violations leading to tragedies worldwide, which often go unreported.

Speaking after the meeting, Archbishop Angaelos said:

“This was a welcome meeting because it brought together policy makers and religious leaders to speak on a topic that affects all of our communities. It is only with this holistic approach that we can hope to move forward and truly address religious freedom violations, and promote the safeguarding of every life which is sanctified by God.

We must, as a global community, recognise that just as there are systematic and targeted attacks on Jewish and Muslim communities, there is a similar phenomenon of attacks on Christian communities worldwide.

Religious and political leaders have a shared responsibility in promoting love, respect and acceptance of all, and to stand against the rhetoric of hate and division. The only way forward is for us as humanity to work together, and consider an attack on any of us, as an attack on all of us.”

Bishop Angaelos delivers address and answers questions regarding the refugee crisis during a Churches Together in England (CTE) President’s dinner with Church leaders at Lambeth Palace on 3 December 2015.

Coptic Orthodox Church UK

Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)

 Media and Communications Office

Bishop Angaelos delivers address and answers questions regarding the refugee crisis during a Churches Together in England (CTE) President’s dinner with Church leaders at Lambeth Palace on 3 December 2015.

The meeting commenced with a short welcome from The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by a brief introduction by The Rt Revd Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth, and David Cornick, General Secretary of CTE. Speeches were made by Presidents of CTE, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Cardinal of Westminster, and Dr Hugh Osgood.

In beginning his address. His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, commended the work being done by various Faith leaders and communities in response to the refugee crisis, and went on to outline the role Christians and Church leaders in their response, saying:

“The responsibility we have as Christians to be charitable and generous is undeniable, and it is important for us to always be good and faithful conduits of the Christian message of love and hospitality which is indiscriminate and undeniable.”

Speaking of the enormity of the challenge of refugee resettlement and stabilisation, His Grace went on to say:

“There is no way that all those currently displaced within or outside of Syria can be absorbed into other nations, and we must understand that the majority of them do not wish to leave their homelands. If their own places of heritage and history were available to them they would remain in their countries.”

“While we need to focus on the immediate vulnerability of refugees we must also think long-term about providing the possibility of return through safe and legitimate means, to ensure they have safety and refuge in their homelands.”

Urging Faith leaders to rethink rhetoric used in responding to the issue, he said:

“In tackling this issue our threshold has dropped; we are now calling for people not to be executed for their Faith or lack thereof, whereas we must realise and communicate that being alive is not a privilege but a right. We must call for all to live within a context of dignity, equality, safety and prosperity.”

Speaking of the efforts of Muslim faith leaders in their response to extremist ideology, he said:

“We must pay tribute to the Muslim voices that have spoken against these atrocities and also recognise that more must speak out, as this counter-narrative must come from within Islam and its institutions. Not only should we pay tribute to these courageous voices but we must stand by them when they speak because they become targets in challenging the more radical voices around them.”

In conclusion, Bishop Angaelos called for more unified and collaborative efforts, saying:

“We must realise that this is a great opportunity for the Church in England to be a source of light. We must stand collectively to pray, speak and provide hope into these dire situations.”

Quoting Scripture, Bishop Angaelos called for Christians to remember that “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were once strangers…” (Leviticus 19:34)

Prayer service with His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Bishop Angaelos and various Church leaders and representatives at Lambeth Palace to mark the first day of WPCU 2015

On Monday 19 January 2015 Church leaders and representatives gathered in the Crypt at Lambeth Palace at the invitation of His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury to share in a prayer service under the auspices of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) marking the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU).

In his warm welcome, the Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, read from a Middle East Council of Churches letter which called for unified prayer efforts and advocacy:

“Prayerfully together, we call upon all our fellow Christians around the world, both clergy and laity, who are celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to share with us our fervent and passionate prayer for peace in our beloved and suffering Orient, especially in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, who are currently facing the harshest waves of persecution…We appeal for your prayers and ask you to spare no efforts of advocacy wherever and whenever possible, to alleviate and end this painful and tragic reality, and to bring a safe and immediate release to all who have been kidnapped and to preserve a sustainable and peaceful Christian presence in the Middle East.”

During the service, His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom and Moderator of CTBI, delivered the sermon in which he said:

“Some may have asked today whether this service should have been in an Orthodox Cathedral, a Church of England Abbey, or in this Crypt, but at the end of the day it does not matter; the fact is that we are here, and how wonderful and blessed it is for us to be here to pray together.”

Speaking of the potential hindrances to realised unity he said:

“Of course we have traditions, history, and practices, but they should never become an obstacle to us worshipping the Father. We now come together in the identity that is most core to us; before we are called Orthodox, Catholics, Anglicans, Evangelicals, or Free Church, we are called Christians and that is what we gather as today.”

Commenting on the suffering of many across the world Bishop Angaelos went on to say:

“There is no greater time for us to worship and gather because there has never been a greater need for us to stand and pray together. The world needs us; those suffering the effects of Ebola, HIV, and other diseases need us; the persecuted Church in the Middle East, Nigeria and around the world needs us, those suffering the results of global, ruthless, heartless terrorism that rocks our own communities need us, and contentiously, even those who are manipulated into horrible acts of violence need us; they all need us to stand to pray today.”

Concluding his sermon he said:

“Today we must work towards that one presence of one Body before one Lord. The ecumenical journey is a challenging one, but not impossible, and at the end of the day it is Christ's journey for us. Small sparks, like today, can turn into blazing infernos of the work of the Spirit; we are here as one such spark, albeit an important one.”

The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ‘The Well is Deep’ comes from the Churches in Brazil and is inspired by the account of the Samaritan woman found in the Gospel of John 4:1-42. The WPCU encourages Churches around the world to interact with other Christian denominations, and further develop and strengthen existing bonds through prayer, collaboration and shared witness. The service was led by Canon Bob Fyffe, General Secretary of CTBI. 

Members of the Lausanne-Orthodox Initiative (LOI) Steering Committee, currently meeting at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in the United Kingdom to discuss and prepare for the LOI 2015 International Consultation in Finland, also attended the service. 

*Ends*

Listen to the Sermon by HG Bishop Angaelos here: http://bit.ly/15sfhQU