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PRINCE CHARLES REVEALS HIS HEARTBREAK AT THE 'APPALLING ATROCITIES' AND 'SOUL DESTROYING TRAGEDY' FACING CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST
The Daily Mail, UK
Nov 19 2014
The Prince of Wales visited Armenian Church in London today Charles
addressed issues facing Christians in the Middle East He said
Christianity is being 'grotesquely and barbarously assaulted'
By Sara Malm for MailOnline
The Prince of Wales has spoken of his heartbreak at the 'soul
destroying tragedy' facing Christians in the Middle East.
Prince Charles said Christianity is being 'quite literally, grotesquely
and barbarously assaulted', particularly in Syria during the nearly
four-year-long civil war.
The heir to the throne addressed the congregation of the St Yeghiche
Armenian Church in South Kensington, London today.
He said: 'We must all as Christians seek to do. For some time now I
have been troubled by the appalling atrocities faced by Christians
suffering in the Middle East... It is the most soul destroying
tragedy.'
Prince Charles added that Armenian Christians had long lived peacefully
with their neighbours.
The community have suffered as a target of Syria's civil war and from
the violent unrest in the wider region.
The Prince said: 'It is heartbreaking to learn of the attacks on
Christians and on Churches where they gather, such as the Church in
Deir el Zour (Syria) earlier this year.'
The Prince finished his address by expressing his sympathies to the
congregation for the ongoing attacks, saying: 'They seem so hopelessly
inadequate but please, please just know truly heart felt they are.'
During the service, Avak Asadourian, the Archbishop of Iraq, spoke
of the problems facing Armenian Christians in the region from his
own experiences.
'Due to assaults Iraqi Christians are leaving the country of their
forefathers. In 1980 there were 1.5 million, this is now down to
400,000 due to the encroachment of Isis,' he said.
'If political measures are not adopted very soon, then in the
Middle East Christian manifestations will cease to exist in its own
birthplace,' he said.
While at the church, Charles also spoke with Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian,
Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK, and doctor Armen Sarkissian,
the Armenian ambassador.
Charles has existing ties with the Armenian community and has shown
an interest in encouraging inter-faith dialogue over the years.
He visited Armenia in May 2013 and spoke with some of the country's
leading Christian figures.
In December last year Charles expressed concern about the challenges
facing Christians in some Middle-Eastern nations in a visit to the
Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Stevenage and the Syrian Orthodox
Church in Acton.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2841029/Prince-Charles-reveals-heartbreak-appalling-atrocities-soul-destroying-tragedy-facing-Christians-persecuted-Middle-East.html
The Daily Mail, UK
Nov 19 2014
The Prince of Wales visited Armenian Church in London today Charles
addressed issues facing Christians in the Middle East He said
Christianity is being 'grotesquely and barbarously assaulted'
By Sara Malm for MailOnline
The Prince of Wales has spoken of his heartbreak at the 'soul
destroying tragedy' facing Christians in the Middle East.
Prince Charles said Christianity is being 'quite literally, grotesquely
and barbarously assaulted', particularly in Syria during the nearly
four-year-long civil war.
The heir to the throne addressed the congregation of the St Yeghiche
Armenian Church in South Kensington, London today.
He said: 'We must all as Christians seek to do. For some time now I
have been troubled by the appalling atrocities faced by Christians
suffering in the Middle East... It is the most soul destroying
tragedy.'
Prince Charles added that Armenian Christians had long lived peacefully
with their neighbours.
The community have suffered as a target of Syria's civil war and from
the violent unrest in the wider region.
The Prince said: 'It is heartbreaking to learn of the attacks on
Christians and on Churches where they gather, such as the Church in
Deir el Zour (Syria) earlier this year.'
The Prince finished his address by expressing his sympathies to the
congregation for the ongoing attacks, saying: 'They seem so hopelessly
inadequate but please, please just know truly heart felt they are.'
During the service, Avak Asadourian, the Archbishop of Iraq, spoke
of the problems facing Armenian Christians in the region from his
own experiences.
'Due to assaults Iraqi Christians are leaving the country of their
forefathers. In 1980 there were 1.5 million, this is now down to
400,000 due to the encroachment of Isis,' he said.
'If political measures are not adopted very soon, then in the
Middle East Christian manifestations will cease to exist in its own
birthplace,' he said.
While at the church, Charles also spoke with Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian,
Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK, and doctor Armen Sarkissian,
the Armenian ambassador.
Charles has existing ties with the Armenian community and has shown
an interest in encouraging inter-faith dialogue over the years.
He visited Armenia in May 2013 and spoke with some of the country's
leading Christian figures.
In December last year Charles expressed concern about the challenges
facing Christians in some Middle-Eastern nations in a visit to the
Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in Stevenage and the Syrian Orthodox
Church in Acton.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2841029/Prince-Charles-reveals-heartbreak-appalling-atrocities-soul-destroying-tragedy-facing-Christians-persecuted-Middle-East.html