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Diocesan Update March 2018

“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden”
(Matthew 5:14)

My dear Fathers, sisters, brothers and children in the Lord.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ during this blessed Lenten period, in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate His glorious and victorious Resurrection.

I give thanks to God for this exciting new journey on which we have embarked together over the past three months since the establishment of our Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London, and ask His blessing upon our road ahead. It is good for us to have milestones at which we prayerfully and thankfully reflect on our service, and this one is as good as any for us to look deeper at how God has already begun to shape His ministry, and bless the foundations of what we hope and pray is still to come.

I have been blessed to be able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with you at all our parishes across the diocese, and plan to pray at each parish at least twice more this year, as well as celebrating at least one Feast and a Liturgy on the Feast of its patron saint. I am hoping that we can celebrate each parish’s patron saint’s feast together as a community, so that we are able to visit and share more frequently with one another. A parish liturgy schedule has been agreed to the end of June, as well as my Holy Week schedule and Feasts to the end of the year. These will all be made available on our diocesan website www.CopticOrthodox.London in the coming weeks. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to be available to you and meet with you on a regular basis, and above all for us to pray and gather together in the spirit of the early Church, coming together “with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).

So far, our Clergy Council, comprising of myself and the reverend fathers, has met monthly to discuss current and future parish and diocesan ministry, and we have an ongoing agenda, especially focussed on Christian Education and Formation, and creating a greater sense of community across the diocese. It has been a pleasure working towards a shared vision for the future of our collective ministry, and God is already blessing this work greatly. Each of the Fathers now has a designated diocese-wide responsibility which will also be published on our website. Fr Antonious Thabet has been appointed as Diocesan Vicar-General, as have Fr Isaak Ibrahim as Vicar for Christian Education and Fr Shenouda Asham as Vicar for administrative matters and secretary of the Clergy Council. I give thanks for the commitment I see in our Clergy for you, one-another, and for the diocese as a whole.

One of our major objectives is to establish renewed Sunday School, Youth, Young Adult and Servants’ Preparation curricula, as well as to reinvigorate our Theological College. Priests have been tasked with each of these areas, and a meeting will be held later this year with Christian Education and Youth servants to create working groups to take this initiative forward.

A very exciting day that is coming up is our first Diocesan Spiritual Day for all the family on Saturday 2 June 2018 at our Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Stevenage. I do hope everyone can join us for this day, which, God willing, will lead to an Annual Diocesan Weekend Retreat commencing in 2019. This will allow us to live in the spirit of those who followed our Lord so faithfully as they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Youth ministry has always formed a core part of my personal passion, vision and ministry for our Church here in the United Kingdom, and with the new diocese, youth ministry can flourish with extra cooperation and coordination between all the parishes. We have held monthly Joint Youth Committee (JYC) meetings, and have finalised the Coptic Youth Mission (CYM) schedule for the remainder of the year. This is available via www.CopticYouthMission.com and www.CopticOrthodox.London.

We have just completed a wonderful weekend conference which was attended by 175 10-13 year-old children from across our parishes, who were in turn served by a team of more than 50 servants. After our Diocesan Enthronement service, this was the first time for collaboration and cooperation across the parishes, which was joyful, uplifting and seamlessly unified.

It is imperative and core to the vision of our diocese that everyone feels a true sense of belonging and ownership within its family, and I do hope, as time goes on, that there will be more ways to engage with and serve each individual through the variety of ministries already available, as well as others to be established in the future. My hope and prayer is that every member of our diocese feels valued and catered for, and for this reason, I am now tasking a group to lead a new initiative called MyChurch, which will aim to map our current situation, as well as detect potential gaps and facilitate the implementation of ministry strands that will hopefully serve as many of us as humanly possible. In this we endeavour to ensure that there is a place for every member of the Body of Christ, “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, [bringing about the] growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).

Our new communications systems for the diocese are being established, with our new website being www.CopticOrthodox.London. This is still a work in progress. Our Twitter account @CopticDiocese is also now active. We hope to establish a periodical diocesan newsletter shortly that will be potentially disseminated both online and in print form. We are also working towards establishing a database system that will facilitate greater communication across the diocese, as well as effective distribution of information.

I have been able to meet with, and hear from, each parish council independently, and a joint  meeting of all our parish secretaries and treasurers will be held in March to enable them to be better acquainted with, as well as share experiences with and learn from, one another. We also now have a joint diocesan account for shared activities and are working on a unified constitution for our parishes, as well as an overarching constitution for the diocese.

With regards to our broader engagement, we are continuing to build on the ecumenical, interreligious and official relations that have been developing over the past decades, and will now have teams to ensure that we remain present and effective in the wider community that surrounds us. In order to maintain the breadth of this engagement, and parity at every level, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II has also formally conferred the ecclesial title of Archbishop of London, and this is why you will sometimes see my title as Archbishop.

A matter that requires your prayers is our search for a new Central London base that will act as a diocesan hub for our London-based ministries. We are in the process of actively searching, and hope to secure something by the end of this year, God willing.

As you see, it has been a busy and blessed three months. Above all, I am so incredibly thankful for the gracious acceptance, love and support I have felt and experienced from every one of you. To reiterate, this is our diocese, which can only work at its very best if we are all actively involved. In this spirit, please accept this as an open invitation for any suggestions you may have regarding any aspect of the ministry and life of our diocese.

Beside our diocesan motto “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14), I have always been inspired by Nehemiah 2:20 in which we read “the God of Heaven Himself will prosper us, therefore we His servants will arise and build”. Placing these two side by side, we are inspired to work together under God’s guidance, knowing that if we do, His light can, and indeed will, shine in our Church, and through us into His world.

Finally, I ask you to keep me, each other, and our Diocese in your prayers during these blessed Lenten days, as I assure you that you are all in mine.

Your servant,

+Angaelos
Archbishop of London

Feast of Nativity 2018 Diocesan Message

My dear Fathers, sisters, brothers and children in the Lord,

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate the New Year and Feast of the blessed Nativity, it is a wonderful opportunity to thank God for His provision and constant presence over the past 12 months that have undoubtedly presented some challenges for us all.

The undeniable reality of the Blessed Nativity is that it was indeed a transformative act that began our journey out of darkness into the light of Resurrection, Salvation and eternal life. Saint Athanasius reminds us that in our Lord taking on our human nature, He has truly enabled us to become more godly and like Him. This is cause for joy as we are reminded in Isaiah 25:9 “This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

The Infant Christ in that simple manger was a Gift to the whole world, Who brought with Him hope and goodwill to all, as proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward humankind!” (Luke 2:14). In the midst of conflict and turmoil, it is sometimes easy to be overcome by events and forget that Gift, and the magnificent light of God that shines within, among, and through us into the world. We continue to witness the struggle of our sisters and brothers in Egypt, most recently in Menia, Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta and Helwan, along with Christians and people of other faiths and none in the Middle East, Africa, South-East Asia and around the world. While we have the opportunity to gather and pray, we must continue to do so steadfastly for them all, asking that God may provide them with the strength and hope they need in their struggle.

While challenging, this year has by no means been void of blessings. The gift of our new diocese is one of those blessings. I am humbled and honoured to be able to serve you all now in our new Diocese of London, and am looking ahead to what I hope and pray will be a fruitful year to come for all of us in all our parishes, which have now become part of a wider family.

It is with hope and trust in the faithfulness of our Lord and His deep love and concern for His flock that I wish you all a very blessed year to come, praying that it be filled with grace, and new opportunities for us to glorify Him as we journey along our Christian path together. Let us make it a priority in this coming year to reflect upon our Christian calling to love, forgive and show compassion to all; especially being a support to those who may be in greatest need, and less fortunate than ourselves.

Asking your prayers for me and our shared ministry, I cannot think of a better way to conclude than the words of our great teacher Saint Paul who said, “I…do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16).

I wish you, your families, communities and loved ones all the blessings of the Holy Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

+Angaelos
Bishop of London                          Feast of the Blessed Nativity, 1734 AM / 2018 AD

Statement by Archbishop Angaelos on Helwan Church Attack

Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office 

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
                           Media and Communications Office

***View Official Releases via www.CopticMediaUK.com***

Comment by Archbishop Angaelos of London after the attack on the Church of St Mina in Helwan, Egypt

30 December 2017

This should be a time at which individuals and families are preparing to receive a New Year, and in the case of Coptic Orthodox Christians, to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas) on the 7 January according to the ancient Julian Calendar. I am saddened however that we find ourselves once again mourning the loss of the precious lives of innocent children, women and men who did no more than attend their local parish to pray as millions do around the world.

Yesterday’s attack on the Church of St Mina in Helwan, on the outskirts of Cairo, indeed directly targeted the indigenous Christian community of Egypt, but alongside the Christians who lost their lives, there was at least one Muslim member of the security services who paid the ultimate price to protect his fellow Egyptian citizens exercising their right to worship.

Even at this painful time, the Christians of Egypt, who have mourned over 100 members in the past year as a result of targeted attacks on Churches and individuals, continue to do what they have done for centuries; they are resilient, forgiving, hopeful, and praying for Egypt, and its leadership, during this trying time of its contemporary history.

I hope that the extraordinary reaction of this faithful community that I am honoured to call my own might transform the hearts of those who continue to seek its destruction.

*Ends*

BBC Radio 4 Today Programme on Coptic Church

Frank Gardner reports from Egypt on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, covering the plight of Coptic Orthodox Christians in Egypt, including an interview with Archbishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London, and the grandfather of Maggie who was killed in a terrorist attack.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09drjpr Video footage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-42020135/coptic-christian-i-forgive-the-people-who-killed-my-granddaughter-maggie 

Archbishop Angaelos Proclaimed over new Diocese

Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
Media and Communications Office

Archbishop Angaelos proclaimed over new Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London during historic service in Egypt

***View official release via www.CopticMediaUK.com***

16 November 2017
On 11 November 2017 His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, and the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Proclaimed His Grace Bishop Angaelos as Bishop of the new Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London during a service at St Bishoy Monastery in Wadi-El-Natroun, Egypt.

With the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London, two new dioceses were established: HG Bishop Karass was Proclaimed Bishop of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia, and HG Bishop Marc was Proclaimed as Bishop of Paris and the North of France.

On Sunday 12 November, four monks were consecrated bishops: two monks from Saint Shenouda Monastery in Milan, Fr Giovanni and Fr Antonio, were consecrated as bishops of Mid-Europe and Milan respectively; Fr Seraphim El-Souriani was consecrated as Bishop of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana; and father Pigol Al-Muharraqi was consecrated as Bishop and Abbot of Al-Muharraq Monastery in Assiut.

Bishop Angaelos, formerly the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, will travel back to England accompanied by a delegation of Metropolitans and Bishops who will formally enthrone him as the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of London during a vespers service in the Coptic Cathedral of Saint George at The Coptic Centre later in the month.

Notes:

In his new capacity as the Bishop of London, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, has seen it fit for him to continue representing the Church at the ecumenical and official level as Papal Legate, and thus conferred him with the ecclesial title of Archbishop of London.

New Diocese of London

Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
Media and Communications Office

Announcement
***View official releases via www.CopticMediaUK.com***
HG Bishop Angaelos to be enthroned as first Bishop of new Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London

31 October 2017
HH Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, and the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, have decided on the establishment of the new Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London, and to entrust HG Bishop Angaelos as the first Diocesan Bishop of London.

The Proclamation of this new appointment will be made by His Holiness the Pope and the Holy Synod at a service in Cairo on 11 November 2017.

Bishop Angaelos will travel back to England, accompanied by a delegation of Metropolitans and Bishops who will formally enthrone him during a vespers service in the Coptic Cathedral of Saint George at The Coptic Centre later in the month.

*Ends*

Background:
The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, dates back to 10 August 1954 when it commenced its pastoral and liturgical ministry in London. In February 1969, a historic Liturgy was celebrated in London by the then Bishop Shenouda, the late Pope Shenouda III, who encouraged the faithful to hold regular services, which subsequently led to the hiring of St Andrew’s church in Holborn. Copts would gather from across the United Kingdom to pray there until 1978 when, returning to London as Pope Shenouda III, His Holiness consecrated St Mark church in Kensington as the first Coptic Orthodox parish in Europe.

Since then, the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland has become an active member of its respective local, regional and national communities, serving in a variety of ways across the four nations, equipping its faithful to be positively contributing and active members in their local settings. At the core of its pastoral care is a focus on Christian education at every level and an active youth ministry. The Coptic Orthodox Church also serves on a wider level through engaging in a variety of benevolent and advocacy related work.

The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland now has approximately 20,000 faithful across 32 parishes, with the number of these parishes constantly increasing. These have thus far been served by three dioceses: the diocese of Birmingham, the Midlands and its affiliated regions, served by HG Bishop Missael, the Diocese of Scotland, Ireland and North East England, served by HG Bishop Antony, and the Papal Diocese covering London, the South of England and South Wales, in which HG Bishop Angaelos has served as His Holiness the Pope’s delegate since 1999.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church have now decided to establish the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London.

HG Bishop Angaelos on terrorist attacks in Egypt

Reflection

By His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, on recent terrorist attacks in Egypt and elsewhere

You are Loved

30 May 2017

Once again, we find ourselves experiencing pain before which words seem insufficient. I have previously addressed victims of terrorist acts; I have addressed their families; I have even addressed those who may have had an opportunity, even in some small way, to advocate for or support those most vulnerable. This time however, I feel a need to address those who perpetrate these crimes.

You are loved. The violent and deadly crimes you perpetrate are abhorrent and detestable, but YOU are loved.

You are loved by God, your Creator, for He created you in His Image and according to His Likeness, and placed you on this earth for much greater things, according to His plan for all humankind. You are loved by me and millions like me, not because of what you do, but what you are capable of as that wonderful creation of God, Who has created us with a shared humanity. You are loved by me and millions like me because I, and we, believe in transformation.

Transformation is core to the Christian message for throughout history we have seen many transformed from being those who persecuted Christ Himself and Christians, to those who went on to live with grace. We believe in transformation because, on a daily basis, we are personally transformed from a life of human weakness and sinfulness to a life of power and righteousness. We believe in transformation because the whole message of the Cross and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is to take humanity from the bonds of sin and death to a liberation in goodness and everlasting life. Our world is certainly suffering from the brokenness of our humanity, but it is our responsibility, personally and collectively, to encourage and inspire ourselves, and all those whom we meet along our path, to a life of virtue and holiness, and the love and forgiveness of all.

This of course, is far from the reaction that many may have expected, but the Christian message is just that, to look at our world as through the eyes of God, Who loves all and Who desires that all be liberated through Him.

I grieve, certainly for those who have lost their lives, for those who mourn, and for those who will continue to be adversely affected by these tragic experiences; but I also grieve for a young man who sees it not only justifiable, but glorious, to take the lives of other young men and women, and deprive his and their families of enjoying them as they grow and mature.

No family should lose a son in this way, even if they are partially or wholly responsible for his flawed ideology. This loss might be to that ideology, to incarceration as a result of his actions and choices or, in the worst case, in taking his own life, along with others, regardless of the great cost to those left behind. In the same way, no family deserves to lose children and members who merely go about their day to enjoy their God-given right to exist, whether it be by attending a concert, taking a pilgrimage to a monastery, simply walking through city streets, or in any other way.

I also grieve for those who considered it a victory to board a bus filled with pilgrims and execute children, women and men purely for refusing to denounce their Faith, as we saw happen to Coptic Christians in Menia only yesterday.

What is increasingly obvious is that many of these attacks come about due to a loss of the meaning and comprehension of the sanctity of life, our own or that of others; so join me in praying for the brokenness of our world that causes parents to lose their children, children to lose their parents, and humankind to lose the humanity for which it was created.

What is important is not that this message be read but that it be communicated; not that it be accepted but that it be understood as another perspective; and not that it should be fully embraced, but that it may create at least a shadow of a doubt in the minds of those intent on inflicting harm and pain.

*Ends*

HH Pope Tawadros II first pastoral visit to UK

View updated releases www.CopticMediaUK.com 

Coptic Orthodox Church UK
Media and Communications Office

Coptic Orthodox Church (Europe)
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His Holiness Pope Tawadros II embarks on his first pastoral visit to the United Kingdom in May 2017

5 May 2017

Later today, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, will commence his first pastoral visit of the United Kingdom.

This will be the first time His Holiness has visited as head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, whose membership remains predominantly in Egypt. Coptic Christians now also represent 80% of Christians in the Middle East, the birthplace of Christianity.

His Holiness will visit Coptic Orthodox parishes across the United Kingdom, officiating liturgical services and performing several consecrations, while generally taking time to engage with parishioners. Pope Tawadros will also engage with various ecumenical, interfaith and official members of British society at a series of events planned throughout the course of his stay.

His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, will receive His Holiness today and accompany him throughout his stay. Earlier today Bishop Angaelos said:

“This is a historic visit, not only of the 118th Pope of Alexandria to the United Kingdom, but more personally for His Holiness Pope Tawadros, as his first engagement with his flock across Britain. For Coptic Christians here, it will be an opportunity to spend time with the head of their Church, and their spiritual father.

This has been a difficult year for Christians in Egypt with recent and ongoing attacks, and thus the visit will also be an opportunity for their brothers and sisters to hear directly from His Holiness about the situation there, and how they can provide greater support for them.”

During his visit, one of the most significant engagements will be when the Pope addresses hundreds of youth from Coptic parishes across England at a meeting during which they will present on the various ministries they engage with under the umbrella of Coptic Youth Mission.

*Ends*

Photographs will be made available throughout the visit via www.Flickr.com/CopticMedia