Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Orthodox President for Churches Together in England (CTE), invites the Member Churches of CTE to pray for the brothers and sisters of fellow Member Church the Armenian Orthodox Church, as the conflict in the Caucasus deepens. With other Presidents in support of this call, he writes:
“We are deeply concerned over the escalation of armed conflict in the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the unnecessary loss of civilian life and the destruction of civil infrastructure. Every step should be taken to identify and distinguish non-combatants from combatants.
“We call upon authorities on every side to do all that is in their power to stop this cycle of violence, and facilitate the return to peaceful negotiations, conducted under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
“We pray rest to those who have died, comfort for those grieving the loss of loved ones, and healing for those injured and those who will bear the marks of this trauma for years to come. We also pray for our sister Armenian Apostolic Church here in England, her faithful, and for all those anxious over loved ones caught up in the conflict.
“Above all, we pray for the return of peace in this suffering region.”
In England the Armenian Orthodox Church Diocese of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland has been served by His Grace Hovakim Manukyan as its Bishop since 2015.
Find out more about CTE’s Presidents here.
For more information please contact CTE’s General Secretary, Rev’d Dr Paul Goodliff.