On 27 August, 2012 the Committee of the Eritrean Orthodox UK subdiocese of Europe met together with Abba Seraphim in Charlton to confer on their mission and progress. Prayers were said for the entire European diocese and especially for His Grace Bishop Makarios, whose ministry in caring for the worldwide Eritrean diaspora has already borne much fruit. Abba Seraphim especially welcomed the latest member of the priesthood, Father Mulebrhan of Birmingham, who was ordained last month by His Grace Archbishop Antonios of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewehedo Diocese of North West Europe.

His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, appears to have suffered a heart attack yesterday and was admitted to Balcha Hospital in Addis Ababa, where he is reported to have died this morning (16 August), aged 76. He had served as Patriarch since 1992.

Abune Paulos was in Cairo in March for the funeral of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, where he delivered a dignified eulogy. Only recently, on 16 July, he met with President Mohamed Mursi  during the African Union (AU) leaders’ meeting in Addis Ababa.

Abba Seraphim announced that he had sent condolences to His Eminence Archbishop Antonios, the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Great Britain, assuring him of the prayers of the British Orthodox clergy and faithful in their loss.

The 2012 Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom,  covering the period 1 April 2011 to 290 February 2012, has just been published. The full text can be accessed online at http://www.uscirf.gov/images/Annual%20Report%20of%20USCIRF%202012(2).pdf

Of particular interest are the reports dealing with Egypt and Eritrea.  Whilst the period under review covered the Egyptian Revolution and overthrow of President Mubarak, there were no significance developments in Eritrea. Yet, both countries raise significant concerns. For Egypt the report found:

“Over the past year, the Egyptian transitional government continued to engage in and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief. Serious problems of discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations against members of religious minorities, as well as disfavored Muslims, remain widespread in Egypt. Violence targeting Coptic Orthodox Christians increased significantly during the reporting period. The transitional government has failed to protect religious minorities from violent attacks at a time when minority communities have been increasingly vulnerable. This high level of violence and the failure to convict those responsible continued to foster a climate of impunity, making further violence more likely. During the reporting period, military and security forces used excessive force and live ammunition targeting Coptic Christian demonstrators and places of worship resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. The government also continued to prosecute, convict, and impose prison terms on Egyptian citizens charged with blasphemy. Implementation of previous court rulings – related to granting official identity documents to Baha‘is and changing religious affiliation on identity documents for converts to Christianity – has seen some progress but continues to lag, particularly for Baha‘is. In addition, the government has not responded adequately to combat widespread and virulent anti-Semitism in the government controlled media.”

In Eritrea, the report found:

“Systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations continue in Eritrea. These violations include: torture or other ill-treatment of thousands of religious prisoners; arbitrary arrests and detentions without charges of members of unregistered religious groups;  a prolonged ban on public religious activities; revocation of citizenship rights of Jehovah‘s Witnesses; interference in the internal affairs of registered religious groups; and inordinate delays in responding to registration applications from religious groups.”

Abba Seraphim welcomed the report and said it was of particular help in supporting those seeking asylum, whose personal  stories of intimidation and persecution were the specific outcomes of failures by the states in question. Whilst his particular concern was directed towards Orthodox Christians; he highlighted that religious persecution was an evil into which all societies could fall and those who love truth and justice must defend the rights and freedom of all, even those holding un-Orthodox beliefs. “We cannot demand religious freedom as an inalienable human right if we seek to limit those rights for groups whose beliefs we reject. Sadly, there are instances in countries where Orthodoxy is the dominant faith, of severe restrictions, if not direct persecution. If we remain passive in the face of such limitations of other’s freedom, we are not upholding a universal human right but merely seeking to defend our own interests.”

On 1 August Father Peter Farrington represented Abba Seraphim (who was out of the country at the time) at a Festive Reception to mark the fiftieth birthday of His Eminence Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, the diocesan of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain. This was held at The Cavalry & Guards Club in Piccadilly, London, and was hosted by the Trustees of the Diocese of Sourozh.

A Chopin Recital by Nelly Akopian-Tamarina, the distinguished Russian pianist, who studied at the Moscow Conservatoire under the legendary Alexander Boroisovich Goldenweise was followed by a celebratory dinner. Among the distinguished guests were H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent, Archbishop Innokenty, the previous hierarch responsible for the Russian Orthodox Church in the British Isles, His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and the Ambassadors of Belorussia and the Ukraine.

Father Peter offered congratulations to Archbishop Elisey on behalf of Abba Seraphim and the British Orthodox Church, and was especially pleased to be able to meet Father John Chapman, the Bishop of London’s Chaplain for International Churches, and Father Benedict Ramsden of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Image source: http://www.sourozh.org/photogallery/01082012/

The British Orthodox Press is pleased to announce a new publication by Abba Seraphim, Britain & The Early Church. Miscellaneous Lectures. This book of 109 pages contains three of Abba Seraphim’s lectures on early British Christianity: The Orthodox Heritage of Pre-Schism Britain, which was delivered to The Oxford University Orthodox Christian Student Society on 17 November 2011; An Address given at the Annual Pilgrimage in honour of St. Fursey at SS. Peter & Paul Church, Burgh Castle, Norfolk, on 2 October 2010 and ‘Alter Orbis’ British Christianity & the Roman Imperium, delivered at a colloquium organised by the Fellowship of St. Alban & St. Sergius at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Southampton, on 14 July 2012. The first two talks have been published in earlier editions of the Glastonbury Review but the last and most recent talk has not been published previously. It was felt, however, that the three talks together might be a useful resource for those interested in early British Church history.

The new publication can be obtained online from our distributor, www. lulu.com for £5.