Concerned by a widespread
"Christianophobia" the Russian Orthodox Church has decided to publish
regular information on episodes of violence that affect Christians in
the world.
Interfax news agency reports that the World Russian People's
Council is a public forum that brings together several religious and
political leaders in Russia and is chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia Kirill.
"The Russian Orthodox Church will launch a program to protect the Christians who have recently become the most targeted religious," says Roman Silantyev, director of the Center. The idea is to monitor the crimes and atrocities committed against Christians, such as murders, threats, rapes, massacres and executions.
The greatest concern focuses on the Middle East, as explained by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations.
"The Russian Orthodox Church will launch a program to protect the Christians who have recently become the most targeted religious," says Roman Silantyev, director of the Center. The idea is to monitor the crimes and atrocities committed against Christians, such as murders, threats, rapes, massacres and executions.
The greatest concern focuses on the Middle East, as explained by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations.
"The escalation of Christianophobia in some
Middle Eastern countries can lead to serious consequences for the
Orthodox faith, putting at risk the lives of the faithful of the ancient
local church, deprived of their rights," he denounced in an interview
with Interfax-Religion after having met with the rector of the Egyptian
Islamic Al-Azhar University.
"If the governments of the Middle East do
not take special measures to protect Christians, we will soon see
another wave of immigration," continued the Metropolitan, concluding
with a wish: that "extremism behind religious slogans is not identified
with Islam, which preaches tolerance between members of different
religions."