A major international conference on religious freedom and the persecution of Christians today will to be held at the Dolmen Hotel, St Paul’s Bay, on May 12 and 13. It is organised by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN Malta), part of the International Pontifical Foundation, whose charitable activities focus on supporting the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.
Among the conference’s main speakers are Patriarch Gregorios III of Antioch from Damascus, Syria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Nigeria, and Bishop Kyrillos William of Assiut, Egypt. Another speaker will be Sr Hanan Youssef, a Good Shepherd Sister who cares for Syrian and Iraqi refugees near Beirut, Lebanon.
“Do not celebrate Easter or you will be killed like your Christ,” said ACN UK director Neville Kyrke-Smith, quoting the words addressed to a Syrian Christian family who recently fled to Jordan in a form of ethnic cleansing that forbids religious freedom.
He also spoke of the murder on April 7 of Fr Frans van der Lugt SJ, 75, who was beaten and shot dead in Homs, Syria, and of two Christian women in Egypt, Mary Sameh George and Mayada Ashraf, who were brutally murdered by fundamentalist mobs after they were seen to have crosses in their car.
He quoted Pope Francis who said last month: “I tell you today there are more martyrs than during the early times of the Church.”
In spite of their uncertain future, Christians in Syria want to stay, according to the Melkite Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Hama and Yabrud, Jean Abdo Arbach. He said 20,000 Christians, including Melkite, Greek-Catholic, Syrian-Catholic, Maronite, Greek-Orthodox and Orthodox, currently live in Homs, close to the northern border of Lebanon, and about 200,000 in the Homs region.
Archbishop Abdo Arbach, who intends to stick it out in Homs, said: “The situation in and around Homs is calm. Government troops have almost complete control over the region and the rebels control four to five districts.” He said that the news coming from the north of Syria, which is controlled by the rebels, is alarming. “Firstly Islamic law is applied, secondly, all Christian symbols which are publicly visible are destroyed and thirdly, Christians who wish to remain have to pay a special tax,” he said.
The archbishop said thanks to ACN’s support, much has been done to support many families, the parishes and priests.
Stephen Axisa of ACN Malta commented: “It is quite amazing that so few of us are aware of the scale of suffering endured by our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“International figures show that 80 per cent of all religious persecution is against Christians and it is estimated that 200 million Christians are not free to live their faith without discrimination, oppression or persecution.”
The conference begins with a Pontifical Mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, on May 12 at 9am, to be celebrated by Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, and the homily will be given by Archbishop Paul Cremona.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat have indicated that they will attend part of the conference. Bishop Charles Scicluna and other senior Maltese priests will chair some of the sessions.
Those wishing to attend are to register by e-mailing info@acnmalta.org or calling 2148 7818. Attendance is free.