Christians in Syria are destitute, some of their priests and monks are starving.Continue reading
The war between Russia and Ukraine is a disgrace to Christianity, because there Christians kill Christians, said an MEP of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) in an interview published on gondola.hu. György Hölvényi underlined that churches have the potential and the responsibility to be peacekeepers, conflict managers, and peace builders, and that church actors will play a key role in the period of peace building and reconstruction.
As for the working group on religious freedom and dialogue with churches and religious communities recently set up by the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, the politician pointed out that there was a need for raising awareness, because there was a lack of public knowledge about the extent of persecution of Christians in the world, and many MEPs were unaware of the situation of Christians and the extent of their persecution. He added that religious freedom is not a religious issue, but a human rights issue, and yet it is often pushed into the background.
My experience over many years is that many MEPs are simply unaware of the situation of Christians and the extent of their persecution. The media in their country, the political environment of their party, simply do not address the issue.
To solve this, we need educational work. Several organizations produce annual reports on the state of religious freedom in the world, and we need to report on these at as many meetings as possible, so that the shocking data can reach as many decision-makers as possible. It would also be necessary to give publicity to victims and those working for victims through the institutional system of the European Parliament. It would also be important for EU foreign policy makers to take religious freedom into account. When engaging with a country and entering into a partnership, it should be a fundamental requirement that freedom of worship is a reality,” he explained.
With Fridolin Ambongo, the head of SECAM, which is responsible for 265 million people, and Archbishop of Kigali, Antoine Kambanda. Education for 650 million young people, from kindergarten to university, is the most necessary investment in #Africa❗️ pic.twitter.com/EXtM9W6k0t
— György Hölvényi (@HolvenyiGyorgy) February 25, 2025
György Hölvényi recalled that if someone is murdered in Iraq or Sudan because of their Christian faith, Europe has a lot to do with it, because they see Europe as a continent with a Christian culture, “they count on us, they expect our support.” If they cannot count on this support, they will become vulnerable because those who persecute them will think of Europe as the indifferent friends and brothers of these people, he emphasized.
The politician highlighted that
Hungary’s approach was exemplary with the Hungary Helps program, which focuses on local assistance: upgrading hospitals, setting up specialized clinics, and building health infrastructure to make “the daily lives of those in need easier.”
Asked why there is no consensus among European countries and church leaders on the current migration situation, which is partly linked to emigration from war zones, the MEP said that Hungarians have experienced throughout history that beyond a certain point, migration threatens national unity. In Western Europe, there is often a lack of fear of foreigners and no perception of the potential threat posed by critical mass.
On the situation in Syria, the politician stressed that no one knows what will happen in Syria. Although there is no fighting in the country at the moment, there is no electricity, no water, no education, and no salaries. In order for “life to return to the country,” the lifting of sanctions is a prerequisite for the entry of big companies and investors, he said. “I have been to Syria several times in recent years and know several Christian Syrian migrants and refugees living in Belgium.
The numbers are staggering: fourteen million Syrians have been displaced since 2011.
On the situation in Congo, Hölvényi said that what was happening there was the culmination of decades of conflict and that “unfortunately it took the deaths of thousands of people for the issue to reach the pendulum of the international political elite.” He pointed out that the Hungary Helps program and the Reformed Church of Hungary are helping the victims of the terrorist attack on Congolese Christians with five million forints (12,555 euros) each, because “solidarity in action is needed.”
Via Gondola.hu, Featured photo via Pexels
