HUNDREDS of UK-based Iranian Christians and others attended a special choral evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday, held in solidarity with the people of Iran, amid the country’s conflict with the US and Israel.
The service included a prayer read by Shirin Ward, the daughter of the Rt Revd Hassan Dehqani-Tafti (1920-2008), the first Persian Anglican Bishop in Iran, alongside prayers from Iranian church leaders, reflections, and music by Sir James MacMillan. Ms Ward is the sister of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, who was herself unable to attend the service.
After the processional hymn, “God of freedom, God of justice”, an introduction was delivered first in English by the Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Revd Andrew Tremlett, and then in Farsi by the leader of the Persian Anglican Community in London, the Revd Basir Amini.
“We gather in the presence of almighty God today with members of Iranian Christian communities across the United Kingdom in heartfelt prayer, lament, and hope as we remember those who have lost their lives in recent protest and conflict,” they said.
“In a spirit of remembrance and solemn reflection, we hold in prayer all who continue to suffer the consequences of violence and instability, together with friends and guests, gathering here in reverence and solidarity. . .
“We commend before God the suffering of a people, and the longing for peace, justice, and human dignity for all, remembering especially today Christians in Iran, and the yearning of hope, our sorrow and our gratitude, our penitence and our longing for peace.
“We reflect on our shared humanity, and the terrible truth that human hearts can harbour cruelty and unleash suffering. Yet in this sacred place, we also look to the light that shines in the darkness: the possibility of forgiveness and the enduring hope of healing. And so we pray that hatred may never triumph, that justice may take root, and that, under God’s protection, all may be one.”
After the choir sang Psalm 23 — “The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing. . . Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” — the Revd Mansour Borji, from the World Iranian Christian Alliance (WICA), read the first lesson from Isaiah 43: “Thus says the Lord, he who created you, he who formed you: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
The Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Archbishop Angaelos, gave an address, before the second lesson — James 3.13-end — was read in Farsi by Mahnaz Palahang, the lay Persian community leader at Holy Trinity, Hounslow.
Colin Bloom, the International Chief Executive Officer of Barnabas Aid, gave a further reflection. “Today, beneath the great dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, we gather not as politicians, and not as partisans, but as human beings made in the image of God,” he said.
“We remember those people whose lives have been lost through violence, protest, oppression, conflict, and fear. We remember families who carry grief that words cannot fully express. We remember prisoners, the wounded, the displaced, the silenced, and those who tonight live with uncertainty about what tomorrow may bring. And among them, we remember especially our Iranian Christian brothers and sisters. For many Christians in Iran, faith is not merely a private conviction. It can come at profound personal cost.”
He continued: “To follow Christ may mean rejection, surveillance, intimidation, imprisonment, or isolation. Many worship quietly and courageously, their bibles hidden, their gatherings in secret, often unseen by the world, yet fully seen by God, and remembered by us.”
The choir sang the anthem, “Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands, Alleluia!” by James MacMillan.
Prayers were led by the Succentor, the Revd Timothy Miller, alongside Nazanin Ansari-Tari from the Iranian Christian Fellowship, Chiswick; Elsa-Banoo Amiri, from the North London Iranian Church; Tom Hawksley, from Elam Ministries; the Revd Mehrdad Fatehi, from Pars Theological Centre; and Ms Ward.
After another hymn, “Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair”, the responsory was read by Canon Omid Moludy, Vice President of the World Iranian Christian Alliance and priest for cultural diversity in the diocese of Manchester. The Dean concluded the service with the final blessing.
Speaking after the service, Canon Moludy told the Church Times: “St Paul’s Cathedral holds a particular place in the spiritual and public memory of this nation. For Iranian Christians to gather there in prayer is therefore more than a symbolic moment. It is an act of lament, remembrance, and hope.
“We come before God carrying the grief of those who have lost loved ones, the wounds of a suffering people, and the longing for peace, justice, and human dignity.
“Christian prayer does not deny sorrow, nor does it turn away from the realities of violence and displacement. Rather, it brings them into the presence of the crucified and risen Christ, in whom suffering is not forgotten, death does not have the final word, and every human life is held before God with infinite worth.”
Mr Borji told the Church Times: “WICA was honoured to join in prayer at St Paul’s Cathedral for peace, justice, and reconciliation for all the people of Iran, while remembering members of Iran’s persecuted Christian community who lost their lives during the recent protests, including Zahra Arjmandi, Nader Mohammadi, Ehsan Afshari-Manesh, Mohsen Rashidi, and Ejmin Masihi. Their sacrifice must not be forgotten.”
He concluded: “The past year has been marked by conflict, upheaval, and profound uncertainty for many Iranians. During this period, members of the Christian community have often felt vulnerable, isolated, and overlooked. The prayers offered at St Paul’s, and the visible expression of solidarity shown, send a powerful message that they neither abandoned nor alone. We trust that this expression of Christian fellowship will bring hope and encouragement to many who continue to endure hardship and persecution across Iran.”