Archbishop Justin Welby and Patriarch Kirill at Lambeth Palace in October 2016. Photo: Lambeth Palace
ishtartv.com - anglicanjournal.com
November
22, 2017
Archbishop
of Canterbury Justin Welby and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia have
spoken out in support of Christians in the Middle East. Welby was in Moscow for
a three-day visit, during which he formally presented and introduced the new
chaplain to St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Moscow, the Rev. Malcolm Rogers, to
the Patriarch as the Archbishop’s Apokrisiarios, or representative. In a joint
statement, issued after their meeting, the Archbishop and Patriarch appealed to
the international community to “render speedy help to support the Christian and
other populations of the Middle East.”
Citing
Romans 8: 35–37, they thanked God for the meeting and the opportunity to “with
one voice before the entire world bear witness to our brothers and sisters who
are persecuted for faith in Christ.”
They
said: “We cannot remain indifferent to the afflictions of our sisters and
brothers, for ‘if one member suffers, all suffer together with it: if one
member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.’ ”
They
spoke of the mass killings, barbaric destruction of churches, the desecration
of holy sites and the expulsion of millions from their homes as manifestations
of the persecution of Christians “in many countries of the Middle East and
Africa” and said: “Our hearts are pained by the mass exodus of the Christian
population from those places where the Good News began to be spread throughout
the world. Christians also suffer more subtle forms of discrimination where
life is made so difficult that it is easier for them to leave their ancient
homeland than to stay.”
They
called for “guarantees of security” and “the restoration of the social
infrastructure and living accommodation” and “the setting up of conditions for
clergy to carry out their ministry and the restoration of destroyed churches”
to retain the Christian presence in the Middle East and the return of refugees
to the region.
“We
appeal to the international community to render speedy help to support the
Christian and other populations of the Middle East,” they said. “Wide-scale
humanitarian aid is needed for those who are suffering and for the vast numbers
of refuges, including those who have ended up in Europe and America.”
And
they called for “preventative measures against the ideology of extremism” that
has “spread throughout the world…like an epidemic.” They said: “We call upon
the world’s religious and political leaders to unite in their efforts to come
up with an effective response to extremism. An important aspect of this
co-operation is interreligious dialogue. Difference in doctrine ought not to
serve as an obstacle to representatives of various religions living in peace
and harmony, which are the pledge of a good future for the whole world.”
During
his “pastoral, ecumenical and political” visit, which concludes today
(Wednesday, November 22), Welby visited the Postgraduate Institute of St Cyril
and St Methodius, a theological school attached to the Patriarchate. He also
attended a reception and gave an address to invited guests at the residence of
the British Ambassador to Russia; and met with senior Russian political
figures.
On
Monday, Welby took part in a question-and-answer session at St Andrew’s Church
in Moscow and preached at a service of compline. St Andrew’s dates from the
late 19th century and was built for the English-speaking community in Moscow.
During the Soviet era, when religious institutions were suppressed, the church
was used as a recording studio for the record label Melodia. Since its
re-establishment as a place of worship, the church has become a multi-national,
English-speaking Anglican presence in the city.
Part
of the Church of England’s Diocese in Europe, the church welcomed the Rev.
Malcolm Rogers as its new chaplain in September this year. In addition to his
role as chaplain to St Andrews, Rogers also holds the post of the Archbishop of
Canterbury’s Representative—or Apokrisiarios—to Patriarch Kirill.
Archbishop
Welby and Patriarch Kirill last met in 2016, Buckingham Palace, for a meeting
with the Queen.
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