Christians have become a minority

Saturday 27 May 2023 (00:05)

Interview with Fr. the professor. Waldemar Siswa, Head of the Polish Department for Aid to the Church in Need

The US Commission on Religious Freedom published a report indicating that the number of violations of religious freedom is increasing in the world. The document includes as many as 17 countries in “Country of Special Concern” status, including Afghanistan, China, India and Saudi Arabia. This report is the basis for Washington’s possible imposition of sanctions on countries that persecute religious minorities. Is the modern world less friendly to believers?

– Not only American, but also European or our Church statistics confirm that the scale of persecution in the world on religious grounds is increasing. Among the countries mentioned in the report, I would like to highlight one – Nigeria. We follow the events in this African country and what is happening there scares us. According to our reports, the number of attacks on Christians has increased significantly. A significant part of them, unfortunately, ends with the death of our brothers in faith. Until recently, we recorded 4,000 such cases. It’s been a while and there are already more than 8,000 of them. Nigeria is a very dangerous country for Christians today. I also want to note what is barely noticeable from the American perspective, and what we pay special attention to. I’m talking about the threats that are taking place in already developed countries – Western Europe, Canada, the United States and Australia. It is about the phenomenon of soft persecution of Christians. In Western Europe, this is manifested, for example, in the closure of churches. The influence of Catholics on social life is also limited, and the Church is even excommunicated from public places. This withdrawal of Christians is very clear. The report mentions Syria, but the problem extends to Iraq and almost the entire Middle East. The situation in Egypt should also be brought to the attention of the world, where, for example, Coptic girls are being kidnapped and forced to marry Muslim men. What we are talking about confirms the sad old truth – Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world.

There is already systematic persecution in Western Europe – is the current situation a consequence of the fact that the Church in these countries is silent on this subject?

It is definitely a problem that needs to be considered from both sides. On the one hand, there is – as you have noticed – the Church in Western Europe, which has adopted a relaxed attitude – withdrawal, silence and even apology for everything. He also allowed a certain narrative to be imposed on him, that for centuries he was an executioner and oppressor, and we have a similar situation now in Poland. What the western part of Europe went through in the past is now happening here. And today, people who desperately wish the Church, dictate to us what we must apologize for. This is certainly one of the reasons why the Church is so insignificant, as it is persecuted. On the other hand, there is a system that puts Christianity on the defensive. Let’s look at the stats. In France, the eldest daughter of the Church, two mosques are opened every 10 days. One church closes at the same time. It’s bad in Germany too. By 2050, half of all Catholic and Protestant churches will be closed, sold or demolished. It is equally bad in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. So we see the complete disappearance of Christianity. We have made simple mistakes for decades – and no one learns from them, because they continue – and Christians have become a minority in Europe. And this is happening before our eyes.

Religious issues aside, the church is the largest charitable organization in the world. So why was it destroyed?

– As far as Europe is concerned, it is also a consequence of the progressive Islamization of the ancient continent. This is a silent but continuous process and it is getting stronger. Complete secularization is also underway. Militant atheism takes its toll. We did not prepare ourselves for this battle, and yet we did not prepare ourselves for this battle. Pope John Paul II. Under the guise of enlightenment, Europe renounces its God and fights even against Him. We also introduced what is called a political correction. Its roots go back to the French Revolution of 1789-1799. Then the so-called tolerance took an extreme form. The current political correctness has taken a modern turn. You can’t talk about religion. You cannot ask for recognition. You cannot talk about what sin is and teach its consequences. Am I exaggerating? i don’t think so. Even in the European Parliament there is no place for a nativity scene anymore. Religious symbols related to Christianity cannot be placed so as not to offend the feelings of others. Instead, we are presented with dummy symbols in the form of a fat red dwarf. There is no problem with other denominations, the problem is only when it comes to Christianity. This should make us think. We Christians care little about the good name of our religion.