Having commenced his pastoral ministry in the United Kingdom in 1995 as a parish priest, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos was consecrated a General Bishop in 1999 by His Holiness, the late Pope Shenouda III, with whom he served as private secretary. Since then he has specialised in initiatives relating to advocacy, human rights, international religious freedom and development work, and is a member of, and chairs, numerous local, national and international bodies dealing with these matters. His Grace is founder and convener of the Asylum Advocacy Group which works closely in partnership with the All Party Parliamentary Group on International Religious Freedom or Belief.

 

As director of the Media and Communications Office in the United Kingdom and Europe, Bishop Angaelos frequently issues statements and comments relating to current religious and minority issues, with his particular focus on dialogue, conflict-resolution, and reconciliation. His comments and views are frequently sought on matters of human rights, civil liberties and international religious freedom, particularly in relation to the situation in Egypt, the Middle East, and North Africa.

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He has been ecumenically active at local, national and international levels, while also actively working in the area of inter-religious relations. He works extensively to build bridges and promote dialogue and unity between Churches, faiths and communities in the United Kingdom and has established and maintains contact with governmental, inter-religious and ecumenical bodies through which this work is enabled. Under the leadership of His Grace the Coptic Orthodox Church is now a member of all the official ecumenical instruments in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

 

Background

Archbishop bishop Angaelos was born in Egypt and emigrated to Australia in his early childhood with his family. After obtaining his degree in Political science, Philosophy and Sociology, he continued on to postgraduate studies in law while working in the same field. In 1990 he returned to Egypt to the monastery of St Bishoy in Wadi-El-Natroun where he was consecrated a monk by the late Pope Shenouda III and served as his private secretary until 1995 when he was delegated to serve in the United Kingdom.

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His Grace is currently:

• Moderator of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

• Chair of the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland

• Co-chair of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Regional Forum

• Member of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission

• Co-founder and Co-chair of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Regional Forum

• Co-founder and Co-chair of the Lausanne-Orthodox Initiative

• Moderator of the Churches’ Inter-Religious Network for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CIRN)

• Director of Churches Together in England

• Trustee of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

• Ecumenical participant of the Church of England General Synod

• Member of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Theological Commission

• Member of the Global Council of the United Bible Society

• Member of the Coptic Delegation to the World Council of Churches

• Chair of Christians Aware

• Member of Christian Solidarity Worldwide Board of Reference

• Scholar-Consultant on the Christian-Muslim Forum

• Chair and Founder of Foundations for Hope (FFH)                                                                 

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