King Charles III appeared at a special Advent service on Tuesday, 17 December at a church in Mayfair, London, co-hosted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The service at the Church of the Immaculate Conception celebrated the courage and perseverance of Christian communities and reflected on the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq by Daesh (ISIS).
As part of the proceedings, the King was introduced to representatives of the London-based Iraqi Christian diaspora, including individuals who suffered persecution and forced displacement when Daesh seized the Nineveh Plains. His Majesty also met with members of the 175-year-old Jesuit parish – including those involved in outreach initiatives supporting the homeless and others in need – and ACN representatives in the UK.
Dr Caroline Hull, the national director of ACN in UK, said: “Throughout their long history dating back to the 1st century, the Christians of Iraq have been no strangers to suffering. But little could prepare them for the terrors that would be inflicted both on them and so many other communities in recent years. Since his time as Prince of Wales, the King has shown profound and unstinting compassion, going out of his way to hear the personal stories of the afflicted faithful. The King’s constant concern has been a huge source of encouragement for us at ACN.”
ACN has supported the rebuilding of churches and homes in the Christian town of Qaraqosh and other settlements in the Nineveh Plains, enabling thousands of families to return to their homeland. The charity has also helped establish the Catholic University in Erbil in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, where most Christian families sought refuge after the Daesh invasion.
The King met with Sister Annie Demerjian from Syria at the service and said that he will be praying for Syria this Christmas.
ACN has developed a relationship with the King dating back to 2013 when he was Prince of Wales and provided of a video message in support of the 2014 Religious Freedom in the World Report. The charity has also arranged for him to meet survivors of persecution from Syria, Iraq and elsewhere over the last decade.
