It is not the first time that Pope Francis condemned the ‘complicit silence’ concerning the persecution of Christians around the world. He was particularly emphatic on the subject in the ceremony at the Coliseum on April 2 commemorating the Way of the Cross.
This came a day after 150 Christians were killed by Somali Islamic militantsat Garissa University College Campus some 200kms from the Somali border when grenades were tossed and bullets sprayed indiscriminately on a subdued congregation of students and other faithful who were attending a Christian celebration preceding Good Friday.
Pope Francis expressed his hope that the international community does not look on “silent and inactive”. Unusually sombre, the Pope, who was presiding over the ceremony at the Coliseum, said “We still see today our persecuted brothers, decapitated and crucified for their faith in Jesus, before our eyes and often with our complicit silence”.
In reality, it was a cry in the wilderness. Three weeks after this grave ‘unacceptable crime’ was committed it is already history, largely forgotten and overtaken by other events.
Times of suffering bring out the finest elements in people. In reverse, pampered times bring out the worst, including vice, corruption and dishonesty
Some years ago Archbishop Migliore, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, told the General Assembly that Christian communities in some African, Asian and Middle East countries were being attacked and discriminated against.
“There may well be over 200 million of them of different Christian confessions who are in situations of difficulty and even direct persecution,” he warned the almost half-empty Assembly chamber.
It is estimated that there are at least a million Christians still living in Iran. Many others have already fled the continuous persecution of the totalitarian Muslim theocracy. In the case of these one million Christians in Iran there is complete silence and not a word has been raised on their behalf as leaders from the West bend themselves over backwards to try to accommodate the Russians and the Chinese and, more importantly, the unpredictable Iranian leaders, on a nuclear deal.
In Egypt the ancient Christian Copt community is threatened with extinction as many flee their homes and towns in the harsh clash between government supporters and opposition militants, mainly from the Muslim Brotherhood, in which they feel themselves squeezed in and the real victims of the uncompromising conflict.
In other Islamic countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere, such as Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Christians live under the constant fear of losing their lives, liberties and possessions.
Christian missionary organisation Open Doors estimates that 100 million Christians face persecution in Muslim-dominated countries.
According to the International Society of Human Rights up to 80 per cent of acts of persecution are directed at people of Christian faith.
In order not to give the impression that what is going on is a clash of civilisations, or cultures, or religions, it is appropriate to point out that in the 20th century alone Christians have been persecuted by groups or countries professing ideologies that held that religions of any kind were by their very nature of dependence on outside human intervention (especially if it is divine) an obstacle to human progress and mind liberation.
Karl Marx, for example, defined religion as “the opium of the people”. So it is no surprise that Communistic-run countries, such as Russia after the 1917 revolution and countries in the Soviet Bloc after World War II, tried to suppress religion and propagate an atheistic state.
Nazi Germany with its racial superiority doctrine, propagation of extreme nationalism and adherence to the rule of the supreme leader found that religions strongly resisted such ideas.
During their years in power in Germany and in other countries under their rule, the Nazis ensured that members of Christian churches and other denominations were therefore persecuted simply for opposing Nazi ideology.
A recent study carried out by Open Doors noted that “North Korea remains the world’s most restrictive nation in which to practise Christianity... followed by Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran and Yemen”.
The emergence of extreme groups such as ISIS has made the situation even worse. Pope Francis is so alarmed by these new developments that, unprecedented and almost unique in modern times to the usual cautious Papal comments on world affairs, he has this time argued that military force is justified to combat “unjust aggression” by ISIS.
In spite of all this, these are, perhaps, the best of times for those professing a Christian conviction.
Times of suffering bring out the finest elements in people. In reverse, pampered times bring out the worst, including vice, corruption and dishonesty. There are many examples of these stages of rise and decline in Church history.
As the Church faces the troubles of modern times it should be, at the same time, emboldened by the knowledge that in the past it grew steadily in opposition, fostered rather than hindered by persecution. We are seeing this phenomenon actually happening worldwide.
According to latest Vatican statistics, based on the number of baptisms, the Church has grown internationally by 10 per cent since 2005 and in Africa alone the increase was by 29 per cent.