Saturday 6 September 2014

Προσευχή για τη Μέση Ανατολή


Στις 3 Σεπτεμβρίου τ.έ., με πρωτοβουλία του Κόπτη Επισκόπου Angaelos, έγινε στην έδρα του Αγγλικανού Αρχιεπισκόπου του Canterbury Justin Welby, στο Παλάτι Lambeth, μια συνάντηση αρχηγών και αντιπροσώπων Εκκλησιών της Μέσης Ανατολής που λειτουργούν στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, με σκοπό την αλληλοενημέρωση και την προσευχή για θέματα που απασχολούν τους χριστιανούς της ευρύτερης περιοχής της Μέσης Ανατολής, όπου το τελευταίο διάστημα παρατηρείται διωγμός και μαρτύρια πολλών μελών των χριστιανικών οικογενειών.


There was an impressive array of Orthodox and Middle Eastern clergy, including Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate), Archbishop Athanasius Thoma Dawod of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Seraphim (British Orthodox Church), Bishop Angaelos (Coptic Orthodox Church), the Anglican Bishops of London, Southwark, Coventry and Warwick, Bishop Geoffrey Rowell (as co-chair of the Anglican-Orthodox International Commission), as well as representatives of the Syrian Catholic Church, the Chaldean Church, the Ancient Church of the East, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Melkite Church, the Maronite Church, and the Catholic Church and others groups working for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.

After welcoming all present, the Archbishop chaired a ‘Round Table Meeting’ at which those present were invited to comment or share information, which lasted about ninety minutes.  This was followed by a Service of Prayer in the Crypt Chapel, comprising scriptural readings as well as extracts from the writings of St. Isaac of Nineveh and St. Ephrem the Syrian and Psalm CXLII (Septuagint CXLI). The hymns included St. Patrick’s Lorica and St. Bernard of Cluny’s “Jerusalem the Golden” from his De Contemptu Mundi, which seemed especially apposite for the occasion. At the conclusion the Archbishop and congregation met with the Press and the Archbishop issued a consensual statement on behalf of all present.

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