UK: Statement from Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Church to the CofE Synod

UK: Statement from Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Church to the CofE Synod
Conditions in Egypt worsened under President Mursi

www.anglican-mainstream.net
July 9th, 2013

Bishop Angelos spoke to the General Synod this morning. This report is taken from listening to the presentation and should be checked against any public release.

President Mursi was due to be in England for these two days which posed a dilemma for me as to whether to meet the President or not.

After the Pharoahs, Egypt has been Christian. It has a rich heritage of protection and confession of faith. It also has a heritage of martyrdom and physics tells us that the greatest energy is granted under the greatest pressure.

The whole nation is blessed because of the presence of the Lord and the holy family.

Since the election of President Mursi the stock market is at a 5 year low. There is 33% unemployment, there have been 5500 strikes/protests, and the debt is 85% of GDP. Crime figures are up. Armed robberies have rocketed, and car thefts have tripled. There have been more attacks on Christian churches than in the last 20 years.

What has happened is not best described as a military coup. The people issued a vote of no confidence in the elected government. There have been attacks on all religious communities. Sufi Shrines have been attacked and Shiites have been killed in the streets.

Egypt has been a polarised community and one section has taken over all.

When we talk about sovereign states they must be left to govern themselves rather than have democracy imported.

The media also does not help. For example help being given in a hospital in the centre of Cairo should not have been as a makeshift field hospital. Cairo is not a battle zone.

A kingdom divided cannot stand but will fall. I call for pragmatic leadership to build a cohesive state and national reconciliation. We have received reconciliation in Christ and are called to a ministry of reconciliation.

The presence of Christ and Christians in the Middle East is a power in itself.

We have just called for three days of reconciling prayer that breaks down all these barriers. Who would have thought an Islamist leadership would fall apart in a year and bring the whole country together again? The way ahead is to work together and pray together.

We must get away from a model that says religion drives people apart. On the contrary religion brings people together.

A passage that gives me strength comes from 2 Corinthians 4 7-10: always carrying about in our body the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a cross we carry that brings glory to God. Pray for strength for us. It has been shown people that division will never take Egypt anywhere. Reconciliation is needed from the heart.

END

Source: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=17774

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