ELCA presiding bishop offers condolences to Coptic Orthodox Diocese

CHICAGO (ELCA) – The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), expressed her condolences and offered support and prayer to the "Coptic Church family" following the news of the martyrdom of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya at the hands of ISIS terrorists.

"May they find eternal rest, and may their loved ones experience God's comfort and peace in this time of mourning," wrote Eaton in a Feb. 19 letter to His Grace Bishop Serapion of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles.
"Even in the brutality of their tragic deaths, they remained steadfast witnesses to Jesus Christ in a world consumed with hatred and violence," she said. "It is important that we remember the powerful sacrifices our brothers and sisters in the faith make daily for the sake of the gospel."
"Pope Francis has described the challenge before us as 'the ecumenism of blood.' Twenty-one new brothers have been added to this great cloud of witnesses, and we mourn," wrote Eaton, who recently returned from a two-week ecumenical pilgrimage, which included a visit to Rome.
"The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will continue to hold these martyrs in our prayers, even as we ask God to redeem those who have fallen prey to the evils of terrorism. We will also pray for those in your community in the United States and worldwide who live in fear and despair. We will lift you up to God, asking for your continued strength and wisdom, as you lead God's people in this time of turmoil," Eaton wrote.