Prince Charles has said that the scale of anti-Christian persecution is “not widely appreciated” and that for many people in the Middle East religious freedom is a matter of “life and death”.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day slot, the Prince of Wales recalled: “In London recently I met a Jesuit priest from Syria. He gave me a graphic account of what life is like for those Christians he was forced to leave behind. He told me of mass kidnappings in parts of Syria and Iraq and how he feared that Christians will be driven en masse out of lands described in the Bible. He thought it quite possible there will be no Christians in Iraq within five years.”
Persecution, especially by ISIS, has forced many Middle Eastern Christians to flee their homes. Iraq’s Christian population has fallen from 1.4 million to 250,000.
In the same week, the Holy Land’s most senior Catholic cleric, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said that “Syria and Iraq are destroyed”, and that the plight of the region’s Christians was tragic. The archbishop lamented that “wars and the way of force have not been able to bring peace and justice, [they have] only brought more violence, death and destruction.”
Last month Barack Obama signed the International Religious Freedom Act, which will make combating persecution a bigger part of US foreign policy.
Prince Charles said that religious freedom was an urgent problem around the world. “Clearly for such people religious freedom is a daily stark choice between life and death. The scale of religious persecution around the world is not widely appreciated, nor is it limited to Christians in the troubled regions of the Middle East.
“A recent report suggests that attacks are increasing on Yazidis, Jews, Ahmadis, Baha’is and many other minority faiths, and in some countries even more insidious forms of religious extremism have recently surfaced which aim to eliminate all types of religious diversity.”
He added that widespread violence and intolerance had “echoes of the dark days of the 1930s”.
Prince Charles has previously said that Christianity in the Middle East is “under threat like never before”.
The Prince drew parallels with Islamic and Christian stories: “Normally, at Christmas, we think of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder, though, if this year we might remember how the story of the Nativity unfolds – with the fleeing of the Holy Family to escape violent persecution.
“And we might also remember that when the Prophet Mohammed migrated from Mecca to Medina, he did so because he, too, was seeking the freedom for himself and his followers to worship.”
He added: “Whichever religious path we follow, the destination is the same: to value and respect the other person, accepting their right to live out the peaceful response to the love of God.”
The Prince has said that he plans to be known as “Defender of Faith” in a friendly gesture to non-Christian religions. The sovereign’s title “Defender of the Faith” was first granted to Henry VIII by the Pope, after Henry defended the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Students help shelter refugees
Manchester University’s student chaplaincy has combined forces with a local church to launch a night shelter for asylum seekers.
With the support of students, Holy Name Church has provided each refugee with a hot meal and shelter for the night, once a week for three months running.
The ministry is shared with other churches, so there is somewhere for destitute asylum seekers to stay every night throughout the winter.
Resist ‘strange silence’ about faith, urges bishop
The Bishop of Shrewsbury has asked Christians to resist the “terrible perversion of political correctness” inhibiting believers from talking about their faith.
During his homily at Midnight Mass at Shrewsbury Cathedral, Bishop Mark Davies said: “There has been a danger of a strange silence falling over our land which has recently led the Prime Minister to urge Christians never to be afraid of speaking freely in the public space. She insisted that our Christian heritage is something of which everyone can be proud, and Christians must ‘jealously guard’ their right to speak publically about their faith.
“The Prime Minister is doubtless conscious of the strange phenomenon of local authorities and public bodies who fear that even to mention the word ‘Christmas’ might be a cause of offence.”
The bishop described the “sinister” way in which “people tell me how they have felt inhibited or even intimidated in their places of work when speaking of their Christian faith and how it shapes their conscience and values”.
He added: “In a country founded on the Christian faith, it is a terrible perversion of political correctness that would so intimidate people from speaking of Christianity: the very faith and moral path which has shaped our way of life. It is the joy which Christmas announces.”
Theresa May recently said at Prime Minister’s Questions: “We have a very strong tradition of religious tolerance and freedom of speech in this country and our Christian heritage is something we can all be proud of … I’m sure that we would all want to ensure that people at work do feel able to speak about their faith, and also to be able to speak quite freely about Christmas.”
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.