Armenian Church News E-newsletter Latest E-Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 1 10 January 2018

View in browser   Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland     Click to view the full PDF of the newsletter   NEWS     DIVINE LITURGY AT ST. YEGHICHE CHURCH   On 6 January 2018, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Yeghiche Church and conducted blessings of waters on the feast of Nativity and Theophany. His Excellency Dr. Armen Sarkissian Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenian also attended the service along with diplomats of the embassy of Armenia. His Grace greeted around 700 faithful present at the liturgy and read the pontifical Christmas message of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians on the occasion of Nativity 2018.     DIVINE LITURGY AT ST. SARKIS CHURCH   On 5 January 2018, on the eve of the Armenian Christmas, His Grace Hovakim Manukyan celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in London. During the liturgy His Grace conveyed the faithful the good tidings of Christ birth delivering his Christmas message (you can read the full text on the website). At the end of the service the Primate and the clergy conducted House blessing service at the Vicarage where currently the Primate resides.     DIVINE LITURGY AT ST.PETER'S CHURCH OF WALSALL   On January 7, the Primate celebrated Divine Liturgy at St.Peter's Catholic Church of Walsall in Birmingham for the local Armenian small community. At the end of the liturgy he conducted blessings of waters. See more in the newsletter.   BLESSING OF POMEGRANATES AND HOUSE BLESSING     SPIRITUALITY: WHY DO WE PRAY FOR THE DECEASED?   Read this interesting article about spirituality from  “Frequently Asked Questions About The Armenian Church” by Very Rev. Fr. Krikor Maksoudian   HOUSE BLESSING (ՏՆՕՐՀՆԵՔ)   One of the traditions of the Armenian Church is the Home Blessing Service. Priests and bishops visit the homes of the faithful on the occasions of Christmas (Theophany) and Easter (Holy Resurrection) to bring the good news of our Lord's Nativity and Resurrection.   JOIN OUR UPCOMING AGM   GO TO OUR ASK THE BISHOP SECTION ON THE WEBSITE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCERNS     Read about these topics in detail, learn about upcoming events and more in our newsletter     Registered office address: Kemp House 152-160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Correspondence address: The Armenian Vicarage Iverna Gardens, Kensington, London W8 6TP   0208 127 8364   primatesoffice@armeniandiocese.org.uk   Website : armeniandiocese.org.uk     This email was sent to tr8seta@gmail.com You received this email because you are registered with the Armenian Diocese of the UK and Ireland to receive our newsletters   Unsubscribe here     © 2016 Armenian Diocese of the UK and Ireland

** FATHER FRANK’S RANTS Rant Number 755 10 January 17 THE INQUISITION IS BACK

THE COMEDY OF THE ANGLICAN INQUISITION. A VICAR STOPPED FROM TEACHING THE BIBLE TO A YOUTH...ABOUT GIRLFRIENDS!
------------------------------------------------------------
Not the Spanish Inquisition. The Anglican Inquisition. It has struck! An Oxfordshire Vicar, the Revd Timothy Davis, has been convicted of ‘spiritual abuse’ by a Church of England tribunal. Not sexual abuse, mind you. The crime? Seeking to stop a teenage boy from seeing his girl-friend. The cleric used intensive prayer and Bible study to put the lad under ‘unacceptable pressure’. The sentence said it was abuse of his ‘spiritual power and authority’.

Spirituality, revolution, and girl-friends. Are they connected? ‘The mosques are closed. It doesn’t matter because I have my girlfriend’. Thus spoke a Tunisian youth I met in Sousse, in former President Ben Ali days. The dictator made sure Islam was muzzled but gave boys unfettered access to the supreme boon of females. Presumably, to channel away dissent. (‘Make love, not a revolution’!) If Mohammed Bouazizi, the young Tunisian who sparked off the Arab Spring by burning himself alive, had a girlfriend, it just shows that is not enough. Justice, freedom and a job are a tad more important.

Trying to prevent a lustful lad from seeing a girl is like King Canute trying to stop a tide. Was the Vicar a fool? He is accused of having gone over the top, to have deprived the boy of his ‘freedom of choice’. That’s bad. Even sinning implies free will, otherwise, sin would not be sin but a mechanical compulsion. No free choice means no real transgression and hence no blame. Still, I wonder how St Paul would have fared before the Anglican Inquisition. His Letters speak relentlessly of souls given over to impurity, fornication, filth and the like. He could be pretty tough on his converts. ‘Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and gentleness?’ he threatens his recalcitrant flock in I Corinthians. Would the Apostle have even understood modern Churchmen objecting to prayer and the Bible to discourage Christian youths from potentially improper company? I doubt it.

Traditional Islam also does not take kindly to what the French, who have sex on the brain, call ‘la copine’. An Imam told me of a young man introducing his friend to him with the words ‘this is my girlfriend’. ‘I didn’t say anything at the time’, the wise Imam assured me, ‘But later I felt it my duty to instruct the boy that there is no such thing as a girlfriend in Islam’. Quite right. The five schools of Islamic law do not countenance sexual relations outside marriage. Such things are haram, strictly sinful and forbidden – whatever the actual behaviour of many individual Muslims.

Some argue that Vicars talk too much about sexual mores. (Hardly any, actually.) A distracting, puritanical obsession? Should they not rather focus on Jesus? GAFCON Archbishop Peter Jensen, a crusty Evangelical leader from Down Under, disagrees. He too invokes the wise old bird, St Paul’s. In his Letter to the Romans, Paul links ‘sexual sin with suppression of the knowledge of God, hence to idolatry…when we misuse our bodies by abandoning God’s instructions, it helps to corrupt our self-understanding’.  The danger of playing down those warnings would mean the Church would preach ‘a false Jesus’. An impotent Jesus who couldn’t save anyone. Disagree with him if you like, Jensen doesn’t beat around the bush. He affirms a strong biblical message. Unlike the Anglican Inquisitors.

But why should friendship between boy and girl necessarily entail sexual relations? Isn’t an innocent, chaste relationship possible? It is – theoretically. Especially with lesbians. All I will say that sexy females like Michela, Maria, and Sue – just a few of the girlfriends of my misspent youth, prior to my conversion – would have become pretty restless if I had never intimated my desire for a ‘deeper’ kind of friendship. And I suspect the experience is well-nigh universal.

Did Nietzsche put his finger on the problem? He wondered why the love story has acquired a pervasive importance in Western literature. His conclusion was that it is Christianity’s fault. Having repressed sexuality for centuries, it was inevitable a reaction should follow. Dionysus, the Greek phallic god Nietzsche saw himself as restoring to dethrone Christ, was having his revenge. A provocative thesis, with a grain of truth. In fact, the reality is worse. Even Nietzsche could not have imagined that apostate, degenerate and pathetic version of Christianity called the Church of England is on the side of Dionysus against Christ and his Apostle! Maybe the Apocalypse is at hand? Hope so…

Having fallen foul of the imbecilic Anglican Inquisition, the Oxfordshire Vicar could console himself by taking up the mantle of a truly counter-cultural hero. He could start a ‘crusade’ against girlfriends. Link up with Imams and forge an alliance between faiths – I am sure some Rabbis would join in – to discourage amorous youths. Down with St Valentine’s Day! Of course, he would soon end up in a lunatic asylum. Sanity is folly amongst the mad, isn’t it?

I admit you can go a little too far in these things. In a Doha shopping Mall (Qatar) I unthinkingly gave a peck on the cheek of a very respectable and mature female friend, a British expat. She warned me: ‘Do you want me to be deported as a person of easy morals? People are watching us!’ A reminder that a religious police has its drawbacks, too.

There is, of course, the girls’ own perspective. Any listening? Do you girls really need a boyfriend? Or is it all a male conspiracy to chain down free females?

Revd Frank Julian Gelli


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Worship Services in the Armenian Churches

Services are held in the Armenian Churches in London every Sunday starting at 11:00 am. In Manchester, there is a service on the 1st Sunday of the month. For further details, please contact the parish nearest to you:

Holy Trinity Armenian Church

229 Upper Brook Street Manchester, M13 0FY

Tel: 0161 273 1074 www.armenianchurchmanchester.org/

St. Sarkis Church

Iverna Gardens Kensington, London, W8 6TP Tel: 020 7937 0152 http://www.stsarkisparish.co.uk

St. Yeghiche Cathedral

13b Cranley Gardens Kensington, London SW7 3BB Tel: 020 7373 8133 http://www.styeghiche.org.uk/

Other Parishes of our Diocese:

Cardiff - Tel: + 44 771 279 2304, +44 2920779248. john@jagproperties.co.uk

Dublin - Tel: +44 2891 863559. http://www.armenians.ie/

Birmingham – Tel: +44 121 675 1469. St John’s Church, Stratford Road, Birmingham, B11 4EA Oxford - Tel: +44 7810 490242. armenian.society@studentsclub.ox.ac.uk

We invite those who have questions or wish to gain deeper understanding of the faith, moral discernment, teachings and traditions of the Armenian Church to contact the Office of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in United Kingdom and Ireland:

The Primate’s Office

The Armenian Vicarage

Iverna Gardens

London, W8 6TP

or email: primatesoffice@armenianchurch.co.uk

PLEASE NOTE OUR CHANGE OF POSTAL ADDRESS

Editorial Board:

His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate

Garen Arevian

Hovik Hovhannisyan Aznive Simon

Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian Sossi Yerissian

Dikran Abrahamian - dikran@keghart.com

Litmus Test for Armenia Interview Translated into English Translate or View it in your browser Hrant Dink Commemoration; Keynote Speaker: Payam Akhavan ....Read more >> 29 December 2017 There is quite a bit of activity on social media about Arsen Artsruni, imprisoned in Armenia for the past twenty-three years for his part in the activities of the secret “terrorist” cell "Dro" in 1994. Close to fifty people were allegedly involved to destabilize the government and create a favorable environment for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) to assume power. The alleged plotters were imprisoned and the ARF was banned. All prisoners were freed over time, except three individuals. Artsruni is one of them. In addition to plotting to overthrow the regime he was also accused of murder. Artsruni was originally sentenced to death, but later the verdict was commuted to life imprisonment. According to reports, recently Artsruni's health has deteriorated threatening his life. He is diagnosed with diffuse multinodular goitre grade II. In an interview with “Arevelk”, Sevak Artsruni – Arsen’s brother – has demanded his release so that he may get proper medical care. He furthermore raised the possibility of undetected cancer and asked that Arsen is transferred to his birthplace Lebanon. The “Arevelk” interview in Armenian is reproduced in its entirety. We have also provided Charles Paskerian's broad translation into English, links to Wikipedia about goitre and a 2012 Civil Society Institute report. This case raises questions: humanitarian, human rights, legal, extradition agreements, to name a few. Armenia aspires to emulate Europe. Could this instance constitute a litmus test for how Armenia behaves? Arsen Artsruni’s Life Threatened, Warn Relatives Interview with Sevak, Arsen Artsruni's brother Translated by Charles Paskerian “Arevelk”, 29 December 2017 […..] "Arevelk": Mr. Artsruni, through Facebook you have sounded an alarm about the health of your brother, Arsen Artsruni who is in prison in Armenia. What's his condition now? ....Read more >> Forward to a Friend

This email was sent to tr8seta@gmail.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Dr. Dikran Abrahamian · 15 Bridle Rd. · Penetanguishene, On L9M 1J5 · Canada

Armenian News... A Topalian... Church Greetings

Armenian Apostolic Church Greetings 

for our Christmas:

«Քրիստոս Ծնաւ եւ յայտնեցաւ բարի աւետիս»

BBC Radio World Service Music Extra

The Music of Time, America’s Ottoman Diaspora

23.12.17

The Historic Armenian, Greek and Jewish Music as imported and still practised in the USA.

An anthology rich in content, emotion and tradition.  .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csvnyf 

Returning to the Roots: Stories of Hidden Armenians
January 2018 
https://armenianweekly.com/2018/01/02/hidden-armenians-bedrosyan/ 

Summary of Armenian history

based on the dates containing an 8  
https://armenianweekly.com/2017/12/27/auspicious-eights/ 

RFE/RL Report
Sarkisian Claims Positive Change In Armenia
January 03, 2018
In his New Year's address to the nation, President Serzh Sarkisian
claimed that his administration brought about "large-scale" positive
changes in Armenia in the course of 2017.

He also promised continued economic betterment that will lead many
Armenians working abroad to return to their homeland.

"The year 2017 was a year of hard work and implementation of serious
programs," he said in televised remarks aired on the New Year's
Eve. "The pace of large-scale changes did not diminish. Furthermore,
we pushed them forward with greater determination."

"Our ambitions are big and we will be consistent in putting them into
practice," he said, adding that the results of government policies
should be "considerable and tangible" to every citizen.

"Together we will bring back to Armenia our loved ones that had left
the country," he declared. "They will come back because they will see
more room to work and distinguish themselves in Armenia."

Prime Minister Karen Karapetian also sounded an optimistic note about
the country's future when he congratulated Armenians on the New
Year. He pointed to faster economic growth achieved in 2017.

"The annual economic performance will be better than we expected in
2016 and positively different from the indicators of other countries
in the region," he said in a televised address broadcast on December
30. "To cope with all the problems facing the country, we must work
hard and ensure sustainable growth every year."

"Be assured that we are going to have an awesome and wonderful
country," added Karapetian.

Sarkisian and other senior officials said in December that the
Armenian economy is on track to grow by more than 6 percent in
2017. Economic growth in the country slowed to just 0.2 percent in
2016.

Karapetian vowed to speed up growth through major reforms and a fight
against corruption when Sarkisian named him prime minister in
September 2016. He has repeatedly indicated his desire to retain his
post after the end of Sarkisian's final presidential term and
Armenia's transformation into a parliamentary republic in April 2018.

The president has so far declined to clarify whether he is planning to
become prime minister or take up another state post. He spoke on
Sunday of "many joint tasks" that still need to be accomplished his
administration and ordinary people.

Sarkisian's political allies have said that he will stay on as
chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) in any case.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
December 29, 2017
The unemployment rate in Armenia fell to 16.5% by October 1, 2017,
from 18.1% a year earlier
Alina Hovhannisyan. 

The unemployment rate in Armenia by October 1, 2017
decreased year-on-year from 18.1% to 16.5%. The number of
registered unemployed in Armenia by December 1, 2017 reached 71.5
thousand, with an annual decline of 11.7%, against a 5.9% increase in
the same period in 2016. Of this number, 47.6 thousand were found
(with an annual decline of 11%), and men - 23.9 thousand (with an
annual decline of 13%). This is evidenced by the data of the National
Statistical Service of Armenia.

As of December 1, 1,190 citizens or 1.4% of the total number of job
seekers in Armenia were able to find jobs, which is 19.7% more than
the figure of a year ago. In search of work by December 2017. there
were 87.1 thousand people, with an annual decline of 9.1%. According
to the number of unemployed, the first place is occupied by Shirak
region - 13 thousand, followed by Yerevan - 10.6 thousand, Lori region
- 9.3 thousand, Kotayk region - 8.4 thousand and the top five
"leaders" is Ararat region - 6.3 thousand.

Until December 1, 2017, employers submitted applications for 2,098
jobs to employers' agencies (annual growth of 28.6%) with a load of 1
vacancy in 42 people. (a decline of 28.8% per annum).

According to the updated forecast of the Central Bank of Armenia, the
unemployment rate in 2017 will be 17.9%, followed by a decrease in the
medium-term prospect by 0.3-0.5 percentage points annually to 17.4-
17.6%. 

News.am, Armenia
Jan 1 2017
Shortage of teachers and doctors in Armenia's regions
YEREVAN. – The most demanded jobs in Armenia’s regions in 2017 were a doctor and a teacher.

During the last year there were vacancies for doctors and teachers in the regions, representative of Armenia’s employment agency Tsoghik Bezhanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am . However, in Yerevan, vacant seats were not highly paid. According to her, the jobs of a doctor, a teacher (in the regions), an IT specialist, an engineer, an architect and an accountant were in demand in the labor market.

According to the information provided by State Employment Agency, 8,400 people found jobs in Armenia from January to November 2017.


Eurasia Review
Jan 1 2018
Kim Kardashian Named Fifth Most Popular Celebrity Of 2017
January 1, 2018 
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian who has Armenian roots is named the fifth most popular celebrity in 2017, according to JustJared.com.

As in past years, the platform is recapping the most popular actors, most popular actresses, and the most popular music stars on JJ from January-December, and provides one final list of the most popular celebrities (which includes entertainers, actors, actresses, reality stars, and more).

All of the rankings posted in the recaps are based on statistics grabbed from reader interaction via pageviews, comments, and more.

According to popularity, Kardashian lags behind Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomes, at the same time outperforming all her sister and half-sisters, Rihanna, Brad Pitt, Beyonce and a host of others.

Assyrian International News Agency
Jan 3 2018
World Union of Jewish Students Recognize the Assyrian, Greek, Armenian Genocide 
The World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) has formally recognised the Armenian Genocide at its 44th World Congress in Israel, after a Jewish-Australian advocate, Ariel Zohar was among the key speakers for the motion, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).

Zohar, who was key behind the recent Victorian Young Labor motion recognising the Armenian Genocide, was joined in his advocacy of this historic motion by Aaron Meyer and Yos Tarshish.

ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian thanked the WUJS on this important statement for human rights.

"We thank Ariel Zohar and his colleagues at the World Union of Jewish Students Congress for passing a motion that does not only recognise the genocide committed against the Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians of the Ottoman Empire, it also 'condemns' and 'rejects' any 'attempt to deny, distort, or ignore the historical reality of this genocide'," Kayserian said.

"This sends a strong message to the governments of Israel, and others like Australia, that human rights are not there to be bargained for diplomatic gain, no matter the circumstance," he added.

The motion reads as follows:

This Congress notes...

    1. That between 1915 and 1923 millions of Armenians, Pontian Greeks and Assyrians were murdered at the hands of the Ottoman Caliphate.
    2. The tragic crime was undisputedly carried out with the genocidal intention of eliminating these Christian communities. This was a premeditated and systematic execution of an estimated 2-3 million civilians; not a legitimate act of war.

This Congress believes...

    1. That it is incumbent upon us as a Jewish organisation to fight all forms of racism.

This Congress resolves...

    1. To condemn and reject any attempt to deny, distort, or ignore the historical reality of this genocide.
    2. To recognise the importance of remembering and learning from this genocide, and to join the Armenian, Pontian Greek and Assyrian communities in honouring the innocent people who fell victim to this crime.

On his Facebook page, Zohar wrote: "Jewish students have a long proud history of perusing on the forefronts of social justice. Today is another important milestone in our activism history."

"WUJS will now be formally calling on governments of Israel, Australia and others to join a growing list of 28 countries around the world to formally recognise the sufferings and injustice of the Armenians and other minorities at the hand of the then Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey)."


BMI Research - A Fitch Group Company
Armenia Country Risk Report
January 1, 2018 Monday
Armenia - Q1 2018 
Armenia SWOT Analysis

Strengths         Vast metal resources, in particular gold and copper, suggest that Armenia will continue benefiting from a steady inflow of foreign currency. In the World Bank's 2017 Ease of Doing Business Ranking, Armenia ranks 38 out of 190, well above even some members of the European Union such as Bulgaria and Croatia. Armenia's current account deficit will remain relatively low, compared to 2008-14, when it averaged nearly 12.0% of GDP, reducing exposure to external shocks

Weaknesses         Armenia's fiscal deficit will remain elevated in the coming years, resulting in a rising public debt burden. Problematically, around 80% of Armenian public debt is denominated in foreign currency, making it vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations. Due to the lack of economic diversification, the Armenian economy remains exposed to fluctuations of global metal prices, which account for around half of total exports.

Opportunities         Armenia's strategic location between the Georgia and Iran offers scope for Armenia to establish itself as a transit hub for Iranian energy exports to Europe. A mine containing 7.8 tonnes of gold (3.1% of current GDP) is set to come 

online in 2018.

Threats         Any drop in foreign investor confidence would hit Armenia's metal sector hard, given its dependent on foreign capital. Another recession in the Russian economy would result in plunging remittances inflows, weakening household consumption significantly and reducing Armenia's current account financing capabilities. Armenia – Q1 2018

SWOT Analysis
       
Strengths         A Russian military base on Armenian territory makes an invasion by Azerbaijan extremely unlikely, and keeps the conflict over Nagorno- Karabakh from escalating. Following country-wide demonstrations in mid-2016, relative political stability has returned to Armenia.

Weaknesses         Democratic institutions are in poor shape and no opposition party is sufficiently strong to pose a threat to President Serzh Sargsyan's rule. Relations between Armenia and its neighbours, Azerbaijan and Turkey, will remain in poor shape. There is little prospect for Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan to be resolved over our long-term forecasting period through 2026.

Opportunities         Russia could step up efforts to bring Armenia and Azerbaijan back to the peace negotiation table, potentially de-escalating the current situation. A strong pick up in commodity prices would revive growth across the Eurasian Economic Union (EEA), which Armenia is a part of, and help bring down the country's chronically high unemployment rate, reducing social tensions.

Threats         Slower economic growth will result in further fiscal consolidation efforts, triggering additional cuts to current government expenditure. A war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno- Karabakh remains a constant threat.

** FATHER FRANK’S RANTS Rant Number 754 3 January 17 MARTYRDOM: MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN

CHRISTIAN MARTYRS ARE LOVED BY GOD BUT DO THEY HAVE TO BE ALWAYS NON-VIOLENT? AND IN ISLAM?
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A Saudi young man of 23 may soon become a martyr. His name is Ali al-Nimr. Awaiting execution by beheading in a Saudi jail because of ‘crimes’ committed aged 17. A non-violent activist, Ali only took part in a protest. His uncle, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, also was a peaceful Saudi dissident. For that, he was sentenced to death and executed two years ago in Riyadh, despite worldwide protests. I was among those who agitated on his behalf outside the London Saudi embassy.

The Nimr family are Shia’ Muslims. A section of Islam that venerates the Sheikh as a martyr. A fact that gives the lie to the cliché idea that to be a Muslim martyr you must die wielding the sword, in war against infidels. Sheikh Nimr’s ‘jihad’ - an Arabic word that means struggle, not necessarily armed - had no violence in it. He defended the human rights of his people, the Shia’ minority in Saudi. His nephew, a high school student when he was arrested, may soon meet the same, inhuman fate.

‘Martyr’ - Arabic shahid – is etymologically related to the word shahada, the profession of faith whose recitation makes one a member of the Umma. However, shahid is used liberally by Muslims. In Egypt, soldiers who fell in the country’s wars are called martyrs. Even those who died fighting fellow Muslims. When Nasser in the 70’s intervened in the Yemeni civil war, many Egyptian conscripts were killed by Yemeni tribesmen – or were castrated by their captors. (For a man, a martyrdom of sorts.) No doubt the Yemenis thought of their own fallen as martyrs. Bit of a paradox. Did soldiers on either side die for Islam? Or was one side truly Muslim and the other not? How to tell? Ultimately only God knows to whom he’ll throw open the doors of Paradise or…the gates of Hell.

The early Christian martyrs were non-violent. They did not resist their tormentors. Martyrs – from Greek martureo, to witness or bear testimony - suffered agonising tortures and death without trying to strike back. Even those who were soldiers and knew how to fight. Like SS Sergius and Bacchus. Two young officers in the Roman army who refused to look on Emperor Maximian as he was offering sacrifice to Jupiter. They could have tried to assassinate the pagan ruler but they did not. The glorious crown of martyrdom they got not by shedding the blood of their persecutors but by having their own blood shed for the Prince of Peace, Christ. (The LGBT brigade suggest Sergius and Bacchus were a gay couple but that’s nonsense.)

Not all Christian martyrs have been like that. The epic movie ‘Cristiada’, starring Andy Garcia, depicts the battles of the Mexican Catholic rebels who called themselves ‘Cristeros’, soldiers of Christ. All they sought was to worship God in peace. To pray in their churches, attend Mass, receive holy Communion, confession and the other Sacraments. When Mexico’s freemason President Calles enacted violently anti-Christian legislation, abolishing the people’s religious rights, the Cristeros did not turn the other cheek. They rose in revolt. Singing ‘Viva Cristo Rey’, they went into battle, much more poorly armed, against the federal troops. One of the film’s heroes is young Jose’. Later he falls into the hands of the state troops, is tortured and then executed. Like many Cristeros he was hanged and left to rot on the gallows, to terrorise potential rebels. Was Jose a martyr? Pope Benedict XVI said so. He raised Jose to the glory of the altars, along with 12 other martyrs of the
rebellion. His example shows that not all Christian martyrs have to eschew fighting.

The Cristeros fought a war of self-defence, against an oppressive, unjust regime. Such fighting is sanctioned by the Catholic doctrine of just war and indeed today recognised by the UN Rights Charter. Those who engage in such defensive wars do not per se commit sin but, if they die, should the Church also treat them as martyrs? That must be for the Catholic Church to decide, not for an obscure Anglican parson like Fr Frank. The Anglican Church has no official machinery for honouring martyrs but, if you stand in front of Westminster Abbey West Door and look above it you will see the statues of ten ‘modern martyrs’. Hope God approves…

Young Ali Nimr’s predicament is an indictment of the Desert Kingdom’s grotesque ‘justice’. His crimes were to demonstrate publicly during the Arab Spring, to use a blackberry to keep in touch with others and to give advice to fellow protesters how to give first aid to the wounded. The Saudi authorities say he had a gun but that must have been planted as it contradicts the whole ethos of his protest. The boy was tortured to force him to confess a bogus confession. Prior to his show trial he was incarcerated for two years, with no access to a lawyer. They didn’t even tell him the charges, until well into the trial. (Does it sound a bit like Kafka’s nightmarish Trial?) Ali’s death sentence includes ‘being crucified’. Does that put you in mind of someone else?

Ordinary Saudis are not the enemies. I have known some delightful students hailing from there. The House of Saud is the problem. The ultra-wealthy, corrupting cabal which is now cosying up to Israel’s Netanyahu, not quite Palestine's best friend. And with whom Prince Charles and President Trump like to play the sword dance with. Maybe when the Donald takes a break from bashing Iran he could find the heart to intercede with his Saudi chums to spare the life of an innocent young man called Ali al-Nimr.

Revd Frank Julian Gelli


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