(Staff)   Last March was an historic month for Christians living in Libya. The Libyan government with the help of the Islamic Call Society handed over the historic church of Our Lady of the Angels to the Anglican Church in Tripoli. It will now be called Christ the King.

In the 17^th century, Franciscan friars worked in Libya caring for Christian slaves. According to the Tripoli Post the friars had no residence and simply lived with the slaves. Then in 1645 they received as a gift two rooms and a chapel which they dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. The chapel was rebuilt and enlarged over time to keep the faith of the Christian community alive.

In 1949, the UN voted that Libya should become independent from Italy and in 1951 it became the United Kingdom of Libya. On Sept. 1, 1969, Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi deposed the king and revolutionized the country, making it a pro-Arabic, anti-Western, Islamic republic. After the revolution the local authorities closed Our Lady of the Angels as a place of worship and used it instead as an art gallery.

Recently, as part of a project renovating the old city of Tripoli and protecting its heritage, the committee in charge restored the chapel to its original use as a place of Christian worship.

With the consent of the Catholic bishop and the intervention of the Da’wa Islamiya (Islamic Call Society) the authorities graciously handed the church over to the Anglican Community in Tripoli.

The original Anglican church that served the English speaking community of Tripoli from the end of the Second World War was confiscated more than thirty years ago. Since then the congregation wandered from building to building until the government granted the use of St. Mary’s.

The re-consecration of the church was led by the Rt Rev'd Dr. Mouneer Anis, the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt and North Africa. Bishop Anis invited the Roman Catholic Bishop of Tripoli, Mgr Giovanni Martinelli, and the Greek Orthodox bishop, Theophilaktos, to join in the rededication.

Mr. Ibrahim Rabu representing the Islamic Call Society joined the British and Egyptian ambassadors and around three hundred worshippers.

The Anglican, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox bishops consecrated the sanctuary by sprinkling water with an olive branch. The Anglican choir and the Catholic Sisters of Charity sang at the official reopening which was conducted in both Arabic and English.

In his sermon Bishop Anis expressed his gratitude to the Libyan leader Colonel Qaddafi and Dr. Mohammad El Sharif, Secretary General of the World Islamic Call Society, for returning the church to the Christian community.

Update

Today the majority of the congregation is Nigerian immigrant workers followed in number by believers from India and a sprinkling of other nationalities. The priest for the English-speaking congregation, Rev. Robbie Prakasam, is from India while deacon Ketola is from Toronto. The Arabic Congregation is led by Rev. Samuel Henry.

The Arabic and English-speaking congregations meet jointly for weekly times of prayer. They have close contacts with the Islamic Call Society engendering a spirit of mutual understanding which has led to an enjoyment of religious freedom for the congregations.

The Anglicans meet Friday mornings and Sunday evenings, the weekend in the Muslim country being Friday and Saturday. About 100 people attend the lively Friday morning service and about fifty the Sunday communion.  

The church can accommodate 500 people. “We love it,” said Deacon Kosti (Gus) Ketola, “but it came to us without running water, washroom facilities or good acoustics. The side and adjoining rooms all need development.” He estimates that completing the work would cost up to $50,000 US. They immediately put in washrooms fed by water that is pumped up to a rooftop reservoir from a well in the front courtyard of the church.

“We hope to see more Western expats joining us who would add to our variety and [contribute] to a welcoming community that reaches out through church-based programs to meet the needs of those around us,” said Kosti. “Such things as the teaching of English, musical concerts and Alpha courses come to mind as possible projects to put us ‘on the map’ as we continue to improve our physical facilities.”