By Christian Radio
Hannah Tooley
Hannah Tooley
The Bishop overseeing displaced Christian families in the north of Iraq has called on all Christian groups to work as one to ensure Britain does not forget suffering believers in Iraq.
Chaldean Archbishop Bashar
Warda of Erbil made the plea to UK Christian leaders from Catholic,
Oriental Orthodox and Anglican communities who were visiting the
conflict zone.
Archbishop Warda said: "The needs are huge - the Church has achieved a lot here, but there is such a lot to do.
"Please remember us and please keep telling the story in churches, in the media and to your politicians - don't let them forget the Christians here and in the Middle East."
The visit was attended by Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, and Bishop William Kenney, Auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Birmingham, joined by the Anglican Bishop of Ebbsfleet Jonathan Goodall and Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Anglican Bishop of Rochester.
Bishop Angaelos is the moderator of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and said the trip was a sign of solidarity with those had had been forced to flee their homes:
He said it: "was an opportunity for us to tell them that they were not forgotten, that they are in our hearts and in our prayers; that we are not just praying for them from the comfort of being in Britain, but that we are willing to go and stand side by side with them and pray with them, seeing where they live, listening to their experiences, and pledging to do the best we possibly can to help them."
"I was also inspired by their resilience, seeing that there is a lot of need, but also how much good work is being done for them."
Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need organised the trip, which included visits to centres for displaced people in Erbil, as well as monasteries.
Archbishop Warda said: "The needs are huge - the Church has achieved a lot here, but there is such a lot to do.
"Please remember us and please keep telling the story in churches, in the media and to your politicians - don't let them forget the Christians here and in the Middle East."
The visit was attended by Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, and Bishop William Kenney, Auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Birmingham, joined by the Anglican Bishop of Ebbsfleet Jonathan Goodall and Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Anglican Bishop of Rochester.
Bishop Angaelos is the moderator of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and said the trip was a sign of solidarity with those had had been forced to flee their homes:
He said it: "was an opportunity for us to tell them that they were not forgotten, that they are in our hearts and in our prayers; that we are not just praying for them from the comfort of being in Britain, but that we are willing to go and stand side by side with them and pray with them, seeing where they live, listening to their experiences, and pledging to do the best we possibly can to help them."
"I was also inspired by their resilience, seeing that there is a lot of need, but also how much good work is being done for them."
Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need organised the trip, which included visits to centres for displaced people in Erbil, as well as monasteries.