King Charles III attends service in London in support of Iraqi Christians
King Charles III at the ACN (UK) Advent service in December 2024 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair, London
20/12/2024, Author: Michael Kelly
Britain’s King Charles III has attended a special Advent service in London, co-hosted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The service at the iconic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair celebrated the courage and perseverance of Christian communities and reflected on the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq by 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 Islamic State seized the Nineveh Plains. King Charles 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 Britain.
King Charles III meeting representatives of the Iraqi Christian community at the ACN (UK) Advent service in December 2024 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair, London
Dr Caroline Hull, the national director of ACN in the UK, said: “Throughout their long history dating back to the first 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.
During the ceremony, King Charles also met with Sir 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 going 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.
A painting by Iraqi Christian woman Sofia Butrus presented to King Charles III at the ACN (UK) Advent service in December 2024 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair, London