Oral Answers to Questions

Philip Hollobone Excerpts

Thursday 25th October 2012 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

9. What assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the potential support which they can provide to Christian communities in Syria.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Sir Tony Baldry)]

Lambeth Palace and the Church of England are in regular contact with Christian development and mission agencies as to how best the Church might support vulnerable communities in Syria. However, the nature of the conflict in Syria means that it is proving incredibly difficult to give support to those communities in most need. The Archbishop of Canterbury remains in regular contact with religious leaders in Syria as well as with religious leaders from neighbouring countries.

[Mr Hollobone]

The Christian community in Syria is one of the oldest in the world and one of the largest in the middle east. Indeed, was it not St Paul himself who was converted on the road to Damascus? Is there not a very grave danger that if the wrong people come out on top in the present conflict in Syria there could be a bloodbath of Christians on a biblical scale?

[Sir Tony Baldry]

Yes, and that is why the Church of England is using such influence as we have to talk to the Russian ambassador and others here and in other countries around the world to present humanitarian concerns arising from the conflict in Syria and to encourage the Russian Government to play a more constructive role in resolving the conflict to try to seek to avoid a bloodbath of Christians and others.