(Click on image to see full size) Infographic: Persecuted and Forgotten? Credit: Aid to the Church in Need
Posted on 03/19/2014 3:13:36 PM PDT by NYer
.- In a recently-released summary report called “Persecuted and Forgotten?” Aid to the Church in Need has revealed a worldwide growth in discrimination against Christians in scope and frequency.
The persecution of Christians “has increased over the last 10 to 15 years,” said Ed Clancy, director of evangelization and outreach at Aid to the Church in Need, in an interview with CNA last month, adding that “persecution has many faces, unfortunately, and many places.”
Since there is no single threat to Christians across the world, he said, but myriad forms of oppression, “it might become more incumbent on the Catholic Church, and Christians in general, to be aware of the many dangers that Christians face in the world … in other places (than the U.S.) they’re facing many, many challenges.”
Late last year, the international charity issued “Persecuted and Forgotten?” as a nearly 200-page report. The executive summary, which can be read in full here, condenses the information found there into a concise 32-page booklet.
“It’s a matter of delivering it in a format and in a size that allows people to get a good grasp of what’s happening, and to perhaps seek more information,” Clancy explained.
While it may be easy to focus on the oppression of Christians in such places as Syria and Nigeria, the phenomenon is not restricted to the Middle East, the report shows.
“There are place where communism unfortunately is still in control, like Vietnam and Cuba,” he noted. Citing Vietnam as a country unlike “more radicalized places like Iran” where Christians face overt persecution, “there they use bureaucratic red tape, and the power of the government, to control and limit the Church, and essentially bother people.”
“In Vietnam, we have a lot of seminarians, or seminarian candidates, and they could spend 10-15 years waiting to enter seminary while the government reviews their application,” Clancy said.
“That’s something unheard of here in the West: we don’t think of a young man saying, ‘OK, I want to become a priest,’ and then waiting for the IRS and the treasury department to approve them before they can even submit the application. That’s what it’s like in Vietnam.”
He also noted Venezuela, where there is yet another sort of persecution: “they might attack the Church or Church leaders because they speak out against tactics the government is using.”
Also in South America, Clancy pointed to Colombia. “Of all the aid workers in the world who were killed, almost half were killed in Colombia,” he said, saying “there, the attacks are mainly because of drugs and politics,” citing the prominence of drug cartels.
Clancy also focused on de-Christianization “in the Middle East and parts of Africa,” where Christians are emigrating in the face of militant Islamists.
In his forward to “Persecuted and Forgotten?” Gregorios III, Melkite Greek Patriarch of Antioch, wrote that “Christ is on the Cross still, sharing in the pain that the people of God undergo. In all the countries around the world where Christians suffer for their faith, Our Lord is persecuted too.”
The report’s importance is in providing information to spur both prayer and action on the part of Christians who enjoy religious freedom.
“Unlike so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, we are in the fortunate position to be able to express our opinions and views freely. We can stand up for our rights,” the document notes.
“However, persecuted and other suffering Christians do not always have the freedom to stand up for theirs. That is why Christian communities who live in fear need our help to stand with them and speak up for them.”
The text also highlights North Korea as the most restrictive country in the world for Christians; Christian villagers forced from their homes in Laos; and the disappearance of underground Catholics in China.
“Encouraging prayerful support for the suffering Church is one of the key strands of Aid to the Church in Need’s mission,” the report concludes. It encouraged readers to “select a country or person to pray for – especially during Lent.”
We are now in a post-christian era that more and more resembles the early centuries of the Church. Ping!
How about the people doing these surveys start studying ALL the countries, hmmm? In a recent poll 2/3 of Christians in Britain reported some form of persecution. What’s the bet that’s much higher than Belarus, which is listed?
I’m glad to see persecution in Syria has decreased as Barack’s buddies were kicked out of their last stronghold a couple of weeks ago. But I don’t believe the statistics on India. Its getting worse there from the reports I’ve seen.
Oh, my mistake. Its going up in both India and Syria. typical.
If you want your religion, you can keep your religion. As long as you keep your mouth closed and follow your Christ in a closet. Soon to be a major federal program (sarc, but possible future foretelling)
ping
I suggest that Christians start arming themselves.
Viet Nam! Venezuela!
People in our USCCB need to get a clue.
They are not living in reality, yet want people to come to church.
The entire St. Patricks day celebration has been taken oover by anti Christian forces. The MAYOR of NYC refused to go to the Parade but publicly with lots of attention, aver antichristian forces looking to coopt it and NO ONE in the media bothered to explain that this was a Supreme court ruling!!
If it had not been a Supreme court ruling, the gays would have marched, OF Course!! Instead of spitting at the good members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, meekly marching in honor of St. Patrick, all of whom (their ancestors as well as St. Patrick) have withstood much persecution.
Could just someone admit it?
Mark Levin is interviewing Walid Shoebat right now about the horrific persecution of Christians and non-fanatical Muslims going on now in Syria - virtual human slaughterhouses. Shade of Nazi Germany.
Don’t bother the little islamist with it as he couldn’t care less.
Other than islamists, communists and democrats, who else is against Christians??
Thanks for the ping.
Then there's the daily assault on Christians by the homosexual lobby filing lawsuits left and right against those of faith who don't subscribe to, or want to support in any way their radical agenda (and frankly perverted lifestyle.)
Now, now. It’s just as well. You wouldn’t really have wanted Bill de Blasio to mount the steps of St. Patrick’s and start melting, would you?
When the Church is facing persecution, it shows me that it is stepping on heathen toes. It’s putting up “unfriendly” mirrors to people’s lives. THAT is what it is supposed to do. We NEED to be constantly reminded of Christian values.
Hinduism isn't just their faith; it's their culture and their essence. It's really barbaric in my eyes since I taught yoga for decades. I explained it as part of their culture, which it is.
Poor India. It's such an old culture and they are POSITIVE that they are right.
Do you think that Jesus would find that an acceptable "Christian" attitude?
Luke 22:36And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. 37”For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” 38They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”
What would you do if somebody said...”I will kill your 2 innocent kids because of your faith?” It is one thing to give one’s for life for the Faith but it is another to allow our innocents to die for us.
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