King Charles III Visits Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Hertfordshire, England

King Charles III expressed his “greatest admiration for the Coptic community” during a visit on Tuesday to the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Hertfordshire, England, according to Crux.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is a member of the Oriental Orthodox family. The source reports that these churches broke with what are now the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches as early as the fifth century, when they rejected the definitions of the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Coptic Orthodox Christians make up approximately 15 percent of Egypt’s population, numbering around 15 million. The source says there are approximately 40,000 Coptic Orthodox Christians in the United Kingdom, and that the church is headed by Archbishop Angaelos of London.

During the visit, a six-year-old girl gave the king a Christmas letter. Archbishop Angaelos gave him a fragment of stone from the Coptic Orthodox altar within the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, speaking of its “unparalleled significance” in Christian history. The visit included a 15-minute service with prayers, Gospel readings and the Orthodox Creed. Afterward, sisters Sarah and Laura Ayouba performed on cello and violin for the king.

Charles then went to the church hall, where he spoke with people at four stalls showcasing different services offered across the diocese. He shook hands as he moved through a congregation of around 500 people. “If I may say so, this has been a very special occasion and I want to wish you nothing but a very happy Christmas indeed,” he said.

Angaelos called it “a true joy” to welcome the king to the Coptic cathedral and diocesan centre during his year of coronation. He said the community’s response to a midweek morning service was “overwhelming.” The archbishop said the visit also showcased the church’s major ministries related to youth, homelessness, social welfare and advocacy, which he said were presented to show “the breadth of engagement” the church has, a point reflected in the number of ecumenical, interreligious and official guests present. Serving the young, the homeless and the poor in such practical ways reflects the call to welcome the stranger and care for those in need (Matthew 25:35). Angaelos also noted that the king planted a tree with the community, which he said speaks to “the importance of environmental stewardship as faith communities.”

Charles had visited the Coptic Orthodox Church’s headquarters in London before, on December 17, 2013, when he was still a prince. On that occasion, he expressed his “deepest concern and deepest sympathies and solidarity” with Coptic people in England, who have relations in Egypt. He said he prayed “for their safety and for their continuation in a country where Coptic Christians have played such a vital part for hundreds and hundreds of years.”

In 2013, Charles also praised the community’s response to hardship. He said Coptic Christians “often build bridges between different groups and religions” and described their “forbearance and longsuffering” and “the lack of retaliation” as “quite remarkable.” He said, “for that, I think we owe all of you a remarkable debt, not only gratitude, but respect for living out your Christian Faith in the way that you do.”

Source: Read the original report