Coptic Orthodox Statement on the Death of George Floyd
Joint Statement of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America and the Diocese of New York and New England
It is our spiritual and moral duty to speak out as George Floyd’s words of “help” and “I can’t breathe” echo in our collective consciences. Mr. Floyd’s unjust death cries out to heaven for justice. In the face of this travesty, we must “learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor” (Isiah 1:17), even as we grieve this senseless loss of life.
We stand in solidarity with all voices crying out for justice and racial equality. We condemn all forms of racism, whether over or covert, and decry any and all abuse of power and callous disregard for civil liberties, human dignity, and life.
As a church that traces her roots to the Apostles of Christ, our biblically-rooted faith teaches us that God’s purpose for all of humanity is to live in peace, love, harmony, and equality. As we read in Romans 2:11, “there is no partiality with God”, who created us all equal, and after His image. All forms of oppression are completely contrary to our dearly held tenets of faith.
The extraordinary outpouring of pain we have witnessed across the country over the last few days has reinforced one of our most important obligations as Christians: to love our neighbors as ourselves. Thus, we call upon our neighbors who demonstrate in pursuit of justice and equality to likewise act in a spirit of peace. Our hearts are with our African American brothers and sisters who have suffered the indignity of racism and discrimination for far too long, and with the honorable men and women in law enforcement, the vast majority of whom carry out their duties faithfully to serve and protect our communities.
Above all, we pray that our country finds healing in our Lord’s abundant love for his children of every race and walk of life, and comfort and unity in the knowledge that this love is stronger and more enduring than any prejudice or act of ignorance. May our Lord Grant wisdom to our leaders and reign with His peace in the hearts of every citizen and resident of this blessed country.