Religious Tolerance
Thought for the Day
In December, The Prince of Wales was invited to present BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. Taking Aid to the Church In Need’s third annual report on religious persecution as his inspiration, The Prince delivered a message which was also shared on the BBC’s World Service.
As a result of the broadcast, The Prince was awarded the Statue of Remembrance by the International Auschwitz Committee for those who support remembrance and a world of open-mindedness and tolerance.
The Prince’s message was also recorded for Aid to the Church In Need.
International Auschwitz Committee
The International Auschwitz Committee presented His Royal Highness with their Statue of Remembrance statuette in recognition of his work in speaking out against religious persecution and anti-Semitism. The award has previously been given to figures such as Pope Francis, the UN Secretary-General, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and the late President of Israel. It was presented by an Auschwitz survivor at a reception His Royal Highness gave at St James’s Palace for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, of which he is Patron.
“It is surely deeply encouraging, at a time when the members of the Syriac Orthodox Church in their homelands of Syria and Iraq are undergoing such desperate trials and such appalling suffering, that in Britain the Syriac Church is able to expand and gain in strength. In this way the consecration of your Cathedral is indeed a notable sign of hope for the future.”
A speech by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales at the consecration of the Cathedral of St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Church, Acton, London
Syriac Orthodox Church
In November 2016, The Prince of Wales fulfilled his promise to the congregation of the Syriac Orthodox Church by attending the consecration of their new spiritual home in the UK, St Thomas’s Cathedral in Acton, London.
During the service, the Archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the UK thanked The Prince for his courage and steadfastness in speaking out for Christians who are being persecuted in the Middle East. He was referred to as “St Paul of the 21st century” for his tireless efforts to defend the right of Christians to worship in the birthplace of Christianity and also for his role in encouraging a mutual understanding between faiths.
