After a pandemic delay of more than two years, Canon Faiz Jerjes of St George Baghdad was finally able on 1 March to receive in person from a UK government minister the British honour of an MBE. Archbishop Michael and Julia were present at the event, held in the British embassy.

The medal and scroll were ceremonially conferred by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State at the Foreign Office. Standing alongside Fr Faiz and the British ambassador to Iraq, Mr Mark Bryson-Richardson, Lord Ahmad cited the Anglican priest’s long and tireless service not just to Iraqi Christians but among all faiths and groups, not least Yezidis who suffered greatly at the hands of the murderous fanatical terrorist group Da’esh.

Among those present to celebrate with Fr Faiz were the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Mitja Leskovar; Sheikh Ali al Soudani, the personal representative of the Grand Ayatollah Husein al Sadr; and the prominent tribal leader Sheikh Saddam al Atwani.