Coptic
Orthodox Church UK
Media and
Communications Office
His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan was
received by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox
Church in the United Kingdom, during a historic visit and interfaith gathering
at The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre on 13 November 2013.
This visit facilitated a gathering of guests from a variety of
faith backgrounds who met in the Cathedral of St George to listen and respond
to addresses by Bishop Angaelos and Prince Hassan on the subject of
interreligious dialogue and cooperation at an interreligious level.
In welcoming Prince Hassan, Bishop Angaelos, a Scholar-Consultant
on the Christian Muslim Forum of England and Moderator of the Churches’ Inter
Religious Network, said:
“Having recently celebrated
Armistice Day, as the end of war and celebration of all those who gave their
lives, the words ‘Lest we forget’ should also be applied to heroes of faith and
inclusion. We are a reality in each other’s lives and reconciliation is our
only way ahead, both in the Middle East and around the world.
I believe that faith and
advocacy are inseparable; a faith that does not advocate is not a Godly faith.
This is why we are here with the Cathedral of St George as our backdrop. The
altar is the place of our greatest worship and what we are doing here is part
of that worship, to be able to integrate our belief with our daily witness in
our lives.”
His Royal Highness, who isPresident of the Foundation for
Inter-religious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue, spoke in his address of the need for a strategy to stabilise the
Middle East, further indicating the need for a process leading to free and
responsible Arab citizenship. Following the address, His Royal Highness
answered a variety of questions relating to the rapid decline in the number of
Christians in the Middle East and the course of action required to address the
increasing challenges facing various faith communities in the region.
During a presentation ceremony following the address, Bishop
Angaelos presented His Royal Highness with the gift of a traditional Coptic
Orthodox icon of Saint George, after which guests were able to further their
conversations during an informal reception.
Resulting from the day’s events was a shared desire to engage more
at an interreligious level with the furthered prospect of addressing the state
of Christians in the Middle East and the challenges they face.
Among the guests were the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Chief
Inspector Richard Harbon, The Rt Hon Stephen McPartland MP, as well as representatives
of Churches Together in England, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the
Awareness Foundation, and the Muslim Christian Forum. Also in attendance were
members of clergy and community of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and
representatives from the broad spectrum of the Christian Church and the Muslim
and Baha’i communities in the United Kingdom.