Altar of the church of Libyan Martyrs in Minya. By 松照庵 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikime…=154159619
MEDIA RELEASE
Christian Solidarity International (CSI) released today a new essay by His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos OBE, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the United Kingdom, as part of its ongoing essay series, “Persecution and the unity of believers.”
The essay series, initiated by CSI’s President Dr. John Eibner, brings together reflections from Christian leaders across traditions on the urgent reality of anti-Christian persecution and the need for Christian unity in response.
Previous contributions include an introductory essay by Dr. Eibner; the series’ inaugural essay by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; and a response by Dr. Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.
In his essay, “The Heritage of Persecution and Theology of Advocacy,” Archbishop Angaelos draws on the Coptic Orthodox Church’s centuries-long experience of persecution to reflect on both the spiritual significance of martyrdom and the Christian obligation to speak out for religious freedom for all.
The Archbishop traces the Coptic Church’s heritage of martyrdom from its founder, Saint Mark the Evangelist, who was killed in 68 AD, through the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, when nearly one million Christians were martyred in Egypt. He notes that this sacrifice is so central to Coptic identity that the Church’s calendar begins from 284 AD, the year of Diocletian’s ascent, calling it the “Year of the Martyrs.”
Archbishop Angaelos gives particular attention to the 21 Christians who were beheaded by ISIS in Libya in February 2015. Their killers labeled them “The People of the Cross,” intending it as an insult, but Archbishop Angaelos writes that this phrase “has now come to further the cause for unity between Christians of all denominations, and indeed led to the outpouring of love and solidarity from people of all faiths and none.”
Importantly, the Archbishop emphasizes that honoring the martyrs and their heritage does not imply remaining silent when people are suffering today. “As I have reiterated time and time again, we can choose to accept suffering for ourselves, but we must never accept that it be borne by others,” he writes. “Our responsibility as Christians, following in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to advocate for all.”
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos has served as the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London since 2017 and is a prominent voice on religious freedom and human rights. He has addressed the United Nations, the European Parliament, and the British Parliament on issues of persecution and interfaith dialogue.
The essay series will continue with a contribution from Professor Yusuf Turaki, a renowned Nigerian theologian who has documented the systematic persecution of Christians in northern Nigeria.
The full text of Archbishop Angaelos’ essay is available now on the CSI international website.
