Area Dean Canon Medhat greets the Pope on behalf of Anglicans in Morocco


The Revd Canon Dr Medhat Sabry, Chaplain of St John the Evangelist, Casablanca and St Augustine of Hippo, Rabat, and Area Dean of Morocco and the Canary Islands was was able to extend greetings to His Holiness Pope Francis last weekend. The Holy Father was on an apostolic visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. The Papal Visit was clearly an encouragement to all Christians in the Kingdom and encouraged them to “to persevere on the path of dialogue with our Muslim brothers and sisters and to cooperate in making visible that universal fraternity which has its source in God.”

The Pope also spoke during his visit of the ministry of the Church among migrants and refugees, a particularly pertinent issue for Moroccan Churches, including our own congregations of the Church of England in that country. His Holines made four recommendations for Church action:

1. Welcome: offering broader options for migrants and refugees to enter destination countries safely and legally.
2. Protection: defending the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees, independent of their legal status.
3. Promotion: ensuring that everyone, migrants and local residents alike, can enjoy a safe environment in which they can develop all their gifts.
4. Integration: engaging in a process that enhances both the cultural heritage of the welcoming community and that of migrants, thus building an open and intercultural society.

In St John's Casablanca our congregaiton is in the midst of a major development to construct a community centre to serve both the members and the Church's outreach to migrants. In St Andrew's Tangier, with the help of USPG, our priest, Fr Dennis Obidiegwu, serves both the European members and the more recent population of Sub-Saharan migrants and refugees. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop.  Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months...   But now it is time to begin a new chapter.  O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word,  even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appo...
Read more

New Area Dean for Belgium and Luxembourg

Image
The Revd Andrew Wagstaff (above), chaplain of St Boniface Church, Antwerp, was commissioned by Bishop Geoffrey as Area Dean of Belgium and Luxembourg on 9 October, at the Eucharist which concluded the sessions of the synod of the Archdeaconry of NW Europe. Fr Andrew succeeds the Revd Canon Ray Jones who retired earlier this year. The Area Dean will work under Archdeacon John de Wit (who is based in Utrecht, Netherlands) in providing pastoral support to the clergy of Belgium and Luxembourg. He will also work with the President of the Anglican Central Committee for Belgium, the Revd Canon Dr Robert Innes, Chancellor of Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Brussels. (A unique and helpful feature of our Anglican life in the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is that our clergy in those countries receive a traitement or stipend support from the state. Canon Innes represents our Anglican Church in all dealings with the Belgian State, including the matter of traitements). ...
Read more