Prince Charles spoke of persecuted Christians in his Easter message, offering support and telling them “they are not forgotten.”
“I admire and greatly respect all those of you who find it in your hearts to pray for those who persecute you and, following the example of Christ, seek forgiveness for your enemies,” he said.
The Prince’s message was inspired by his recent meetings with Christian Church leaders from the Middle East.
The meetings were facilitated by the international charity Aid to the Church in Need.
His message forms part of his ongoing dialogue with Church leaders in the United Kingdom.
The Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols responded, saying:
“We should deplore the persecution of any human being. And he [Charles] is right to draw attention to the fate of Christians, especially in the Middle East.
“It’s also worth remembering today that people will walk through villages like Qaraqosh (in Iraq) which were destroyed by Daesh [IS] and they will celebrate again the Easter mysteries.”
Charles is a longtime advocate for persecuted Christians.
He said he has “met many who have had to flee for their faith and for their life – or have somehow endured the terrifying consequences of remaining in their country”.
Their plight moves and humbles him because of their “truly remarkable courage and by their selfless capacity for forgiveness, despite all that they have suffered.
“I have also heard that in the darkness there are small shafts of light, signs of resurrection and of hope that slowly but surely Christians who have had to flee from their homelands are beginning to return and to rebuild their shattered homes.”
According to the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee, 37,031 Christians have returned to the Nineveh Plains over the last 12 months.
However, about four times as many are still in the Kurdish areas in northern Iraq.
They fled there after IS took over the Niniveh Plains area in 2014.
Source
- Crux Now
- The Tablet
- Image: Abouna