Official Dialogue and Real Persecutions
The annual 2008 report of the charity ACN (Aid to the Church in Need) was recently presented by Marc Fromager, director of the ACN, at a Press Conference given at the Bishop’s Conference Centre in Paris. This 528-page report concerns Christians who have suffered oppression for their faith within the past two years. It was drawn up in seven different languages and published simultaneously in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. It was published just two months before the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN at their General Assembly on December 10, 1948.
Founded by the Dutch priest Fr. Werenfried van Straaten in 1947, the ACN was, by a decree of April 7th, 1984, established as a Universal Public Association of the Catholic Church and subject to the Congregation for the Clergy. The Association’s pastoral mission consists of “fulfilling a precise mandate of the Church in a specific area, i.e., to show charity towards those local Churches most suffering and in need.” It thus responds to requests from local persecuted Churches under threat or unprovided for. Requests are made to the charity through the intermediary of bishops or superiors of religious communities. Each year ACN responds to more than 7,000 calls and requests for help, thanks to the support of its benefactors. In France, the ACN is a member of the National Council for Solidarity of the French Bishops.
The study shows how, in the last two years, persecutions against Catholics have intensified in 17 countries. It lists 13 “countries where there are grave legal limitations concerning religious liberty.” (China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Turkmenistan, Yemen, Burma, Laos, Maldives, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Sudan), and 30 countries “where legal restrictions of religious liberty are observed” (Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Byelorussia, Bolivia, Egypt, Eritrea, Holy Land and Mexico), and also “countries which have episodic legal repression” (once again China, Cuba and Iran), and finally, but without naming them “countries which experience violent episodes of social intolerance.”
The report denounces the aggravation of the situation in India and in Iraq. Pope Benedict XVI mentioned these areas of the persecuted Church in his conclusion to the Bishop’s Synod on the subject of the Word of God on October 26, 2008. The Patriarchs of the Oriental Churches made an appeal on October 24, 2008, in favor of “real religious freedom surpassing all form of discrimination.”
An appeal “which I make my own,” said the Pope,
to attract the attention of the international community, religious leaders and all men and women of good will, to the tragedy taking place in certain Eastern countries where Christians are victims of intolerance and cruel violence, killed or threatened and compelled to abandon their homes and wander whilst seeking refuge. I am thinking most especially about Iraq and India at this present time.
“It is the role of ACN to be on the lookout on the world’s behalf and to note all attacks made against freedom to believe, in order to sensitize public opinion and, we hope, make things change” said Marc Fromager when presenting the 2008 Report. “Today,” he continued, “the main victims of this lack of religious freedom in the world are Christians.” Religious freedom is one of the Human Rights which is the least respected in the world and “this can be explained by globalization which provokes withdrawal and exacerbation of identities. The principal obstacles to religious freedom are the rise in religious extremism (Islam and Hinduism) and the subsistence of Communist political regimes. Asia, from the Middle East to Indonesia, is the region of the world in which the situation is the most worrying for believers. In Africa (Sudan, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria), there are also serious attacks on the freedom to believe.
Bishop George Casmoussa, the Syrian-Catholic Bishop of Mosul (Iraq) and guest of honor at the ACN press conference, was able to speak about the dramatic situation of the Christians in Iraq where one’s religion must be noted on one’s identity card.
The Precarious Situation of Christians in Iraq
Fifteen years ago there were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. At the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, there were between 700,000-800,000. Bishop Casmoussa estimates that only half that number still remain there today.
In the north of Iraq, approximately 250 miles from Baghdad, Mosul is the birthplace of Christianity in this country where 96% of the population are Muslim. Bishop Casmoussa reminds us of the reality of this second metropolitan city of Iraq which has 2 million inhabitants, 26 churches, 10 monasteries and convents, 4 Catholic and Orthodox bishoprics and Christian schools…where, since the end of September 2008, persecutions have compelled 2,000 Christian families to flee and seek refuge on the plains of Nineveh. In Iraq,
a law adopted last September [2008] in Baghdad’s Parliament has repealed the clause which guaranteed a minimum of religious freedom for Christians.
He describes the situation of Christians in Iraq today as in fact being one of “not being granted the freedom to believe or to practice their faith; some are even denied their right to exist in Iraq.” He himself was taken hostage in 2005. Bishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, was kidnapped on February 29, 2008 as he was leaving the Church of the Holy Ghost at Mosul, and was found dead on March 13. Bishop Francesco Chullikatt, the Papal Nuncio in Iraq and Jordan stated:
The one thing we do know is that when somebody is taken hostage he is subject to violence. I cannot rule out the possibility that even the poor Archbishop was badly treated during his captivity. All of this, added to the precarious conditions of his detention, will have accelerated his tragic death. (See DICI, No.172, March 22, 2008).
At the beginning of October 2008, the town of Mosul was exposed to a most violent campaign of terror against Christians. From October 1-8, nearly half the number of Christian families had to flee their homes to escape threats from Muslim fundamentalists and take refuge in neighboring villages. Three Christian homes were destroyed by explosives, 11 Christians were killed in daylight during Ramadan and many families received death-threats, in which they were warned to “leave the land of Islam.” The Syrian-Catholic bishop insisted that these attacks were particularly distressful because Mosul was the birthplace and heart of Christianity in Iraq. “Iraqi Christians live in fear” said Bishop Louis Sako, Chaldean Bishop of Kirkuk.
Bishop Casmoussa called on the Iraqi government to re-establish law and order in the country: “We want equal rights for Christians.” The biggest danger is that of “political revisionism” which would mean that Christians were refused the right to exist in Iraq.
If the situation does not change, in 10 years time there will no longer be any Christians left here. At the present time, I dare not believe in the existence of a plan to eliminate Christians from Iraq and the whole of the Middle East, I can’t believe it. We must remain hopeful.
The Bishop of Mosul also refuses the idea of “enclosed confessional territories”:
Everybody must participate in the government of this country. We request citizenship equal to that of others as well as participation in everyday life.
He recognizes that inter-religious dialogue is univocal:
Official dialogue? No. Life-concerning dialogue, yes. A Christian is perceived by Muslims as a trustful, open, and truthful person. It is often Christians who are chosen to settle disputes.
Bishop Casmoussa gives examples of gestures of solidarity such as Muslims going to the market for their Christian neighbors. “I do hope that this kind of conviviality will resume once again.”
Defense and Diffusion of Common Values?
On Thursday, November 6, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI received participants of the first “Catholic-Muslim Forum” founded by the Pontifical Council for inter-religious Dialogue and the 138 Muslim leaders all of whom were signatories of the “Open Letter to Christian Leaders” of October 13, 2007. The aim was to make progress on “the road to a better understanding between Muslims and Christians.”
The theme of the meeting was “Love of God, love of one’s neighbor: The Dignity of Human Life and Mutual Respect,”a theme taken from the Open Letter. This latter, said the Pope,
presents the love of God and love for one’s neighbor as the heart of both Islam and Christian faith. This theme underlines even more clearly the theological and spiritual foundation of the central teaching of our respective religions.
The Holy Father went on to liken the teaching of the Gospel (Deus caritas est of St. John) with that of the Koran (the golden rule of the Sunni), and followed up with the Final Declaration of the Catholic-Muslim Forum exposing the faith of both Christians and Muslims, quoting successively from St. John and St. Paul, two hadiths (Bab al-Tawba and Bal al-Iman), as well as several Sourates of the “holy and well-loved prophet Mohammed.”
The Pope then called for a “working together in order to promote authentic respect and dignity for human life and fundamental rights for mankind, even if our anthropological visions and theologies present them in different ways.”
In order to achieve these aims, it is necessary for both religious and political leaders to “allow free exercise of these rights with total respect for freedom of conscience and religious freedom for all” with the aim of “building a more fraternal world.” Indeed, “God’s name can only be a name of peace and fraternity, justice and love.”
In the “spirit of Assisi,” inaugurated by Pope John Paul II in 1986, Rome intends to promote peace in the world by these inter-religious meetings which rely on the teaching of Vatican II texts, Nostra Aetate and Lumen Gentium in which we find quotes such as:
The plan for salvation equally embraces those who recognize the Creator, most especially Muslims who profess the faith of Abraham and adore, with us, the unique merciful God, future judge of mankind on the last day (No.16).
General Uprising Against Christians in India
In India, the persecution of Christians is also on the rise. According to a detailed account published in the middle of October 2008, the previous five weeks of violence in the State of Orissa had resulted in 14 districts having been hit, 300 villages destroyed, 4.300 dwellings burnt down, 50,000 people made homeless, 57 deaths, 10 Priests, Pastors and Nuns injured, 2 women raped, 18.000 people injured, 149 religious edifices destroyed, and 13 schools and other centers of learning destroyed. In the State of Karnataka four districts were also under attack, 19 churches had been attacked, and 20 women and nuns injured. In the State of Kerala, three churches were damaged and in the State of Madhya Pradesh four. In the State of Delhi one church was destroyed, and four recorded attacks against other churches. In the State of Tamil Nadu one church was attacked and in the State of Uttar Pradesh there were two deaths, an elderly priest and one of his employees. (See DICI, No.183 October 18, 2008)
“Certain zones have been reduced to ashes.” Once they have destroyed houses and inhabitants, “bands then attack domestic animals” denounced Fr. Manoj Digal, in charge of the rural area at the Social Centre of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar Diocese. Whereas the government claims that the situation “is getting back to normal,” fundamentalist Hindu groups have been seen moving in to try to force Christians to convert to Hinduism.
Christians are frightened to return to their villages because of death threats and are compelled to flee into forests or live in inhuman conditions in camps run by the local government. Camp numbers have reduced by half, not because the faithful have returned to their villages but because they have gone to other States in the hope of finding greater security...
...explained Indian Bishops in a declaration October 20, 2008.
Christians of the Kandhamal District have lost all confidence in the State: their fundamental right to live has been utterly ignored by the constitutionally elected government.
The Fides Agency explained that radical Hindu groups take over land where wheat, corn, ginger, and fruit trees have been planted thus dispossessing Christians of their properties and their means of existence. With no hope of being able to live normal lives they leave Orissa State and look for other land in order to survive.
When presenting the ACN report Marc Fromager affirmed that in India “a general uprising against Christians was to be feared.” The population of the Republic of India is composed of a majority of Hindus (81%), followed by Muslims (13%), Christians (2.4%), Buddhists and other religions.
According to some specialists the original cause of the wave of violence declared against Christians by nationalistic Hindus across the country is due to the fact that they question the caste system. Nearly 70% of Christians in India are outcasts and constitute cheap labor. Untouchables or outcasts represent 25% of the population. Many people believe that behind religious motivation lie political ambitions of the Nationalistic Party led by the Hindu Bharatiya Janata and his close allies, who govern all those States where violence has taken place. Fr. Bernardo Cervellera, Director of Asian News Agency explained on Vatican Radio that due to the fact that elections were soon to be held (May 2009) both local and national Indian authorities remained entirely passive. “They don’t want to lose the Hindu population votes.”
Marc Fromager explained that while the Catholic Church,
...does not threaten Hinduism, it does trouble it because of the considerable admiration it receives especially thanks to its 25,000 educational establishments and by its action in favor of the dignity and respect due to human beings.
Meanwhile, on October 28, 2008, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for inter-religious dialogue, addressed a message to the Hindus for their feast of Diwali, festival of light, equivalent of our New Year. The Prelate urged Hindus and Christians to accept that “non-violence is the only way to build a more compassionate, just and attentive global society, especially in the present day situation.”
Iranian Hospitality
On the cover page of 30 Days, a magazine directed by Giulio Andreotti, a Christian Democrat (No.6/7 Sept. 2008), an interview with Akbar Hachemi Rafsandjani, former president of the Islamic Republic of Iran was entitled “Possible dialogue.”
In a quiet, good-natured way, the Shiite Ayatollah explains that Islam is not like the Jewish or Christian religions,
...who have been in conflict for the last 2,000 years....We Muslims have no difficulties with the Jews, Christians or Hindus or with the disciples of Confucius in China. We can co-exist perfectly with them. Differences and conflicts have come about for reasons other than those of faith.
Is this above and beyond both truth and history?
Neither the journalist nor his editorial staff manifested the least reserve concerning this kind of soothing talk. Why on earth do Christians of Iraq flee their country, whereas their Iranian neighbor seems so peaceful and welcoming?
Real and False Religious Freedom
Faced with the hate and violence of Muslim or Hindu persecution it would be tempting to believe that there is no other solution other than to claim religious freedom for all, in the hope that it could be applied to those people persecuted for the Holy Name of Jesus.
The present dramatic situation, however, is that the ecclesiastical authorities no longer rely on the truth and verity of the Gospels, or on the authority of Christ’s Church, but upon the Second Vatican Council in its Declaration Dignitatis Humanae (1965), or on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. (The latter of which is to be celebrated in the joy of its 60th Anniversary).
Religious freedom referred to in this context does not consist of permitting or favoring true freedom, that of God’s children, who adore in spirit and truth the only, unique Savior, but rather the freedom of all faiths, whatever they may be, in the name of freedom of individual consciences elevated to universal dogma. It is this legacy of the Enlightenment and real modern idols which proclaims its virtually sacred and inviolate rights through the freedom of conscience, now regarded as the supreme and absolute norm of the whole moral, political, and religious universe.
It is rather as if, in the parable of the good and bad seed, where Jesus Christ teaches the discernment and patience necessary to tolerate sin, the conclusion was that all devils and fiends had the right to throw handfuls of bad grain, representing error and ways of iniquity. It is also rather as if, once the harvest was done, the Son of God wished to store the bad grain alongside the good in his barn. This is the false, modern freedom condemned by all Sovereign Pontiffs up to Pius XII. To study this question of freedom, besides reading Gregory XVI, Pius IX and Leo XIII, it is helpful to consult the following books of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre listed below.
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