Home page News
Conference on the problem of discrimination a…

Conference on the problem of discrimination and persecution against Christians opens in Moscow

[gallery]
A Conference on the Freedom of Faith: the Problem of Discrimination and Persecution of Christians opened at the conference hall of “Danilovskaya” hotel in Moscow on 30 November 2011. Taking part in the opening were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Archbishop Edwin Joseph Ender, representative of the Holy See; Mr. Massimo Introvigne, representative of the OSCE on combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions.

The Russian Orthodox Church has initiated the forum with support of the Christian Interconfessional Committee, the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation and the International Organization “Aid to the Church in Need.”

Attending the opening of the Conference were representatives of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and Serbia, of the Orthodox Churches of Cyprus and Greece, of the Roman Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Muslim and Jewish communities, and the international, inter-Christian, interreligious and public organizations.

Citing the data provided by Massimo Introvigne, Metropolitan Hilarion reminded the listeners that every five minutes a Christian is killed for his faith, and one hundred and five thousand Christians come to a violent death in interreligious conflicts every year. Metropolitan Hilarion underscored the necessity of recognizing a simple fact: Christians are the most persecuted religious community in the world. He named Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Sudan, Nigeria, Etritrea, Somali, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, and India as countries in which Christians are most persecuted.

Metropolitan Hilarion, who accompanied His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in his visit to Syria and Lebanon in November, expressed his concern about the future of religious minorities, mostly Christians, in Syria, in case the political situation is destabilized and a civil is unleashed.

He underscored that not only Christians, but also representatives of other religious minorities are persecuted, and added that the governments of certain countries do much for establishing harmonious intereligious relations.

The DECR chairman noted in particular the historical role of the European countries and Russia in the protection of Christian minorities. He emphasized, however, that the problem of persecution of Christians has been hushed up in Europe for many years. “The European politicians, being moved by the spirit of political correctness, talked a lot about the inadmissibility of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other manifestations of religious or ethnic intolerance, but passed over the discrimination of Christians in silence.”

The situation has begun to change only in the recent years, he said, and gave examples of conferences and resolutions on the problem.

While describing the actions of the Russian Orthodox Church in defense of the persecuted Christians, Metropolitan Hilarion emphasized that the Moscow Patriarchate has come out resolutely against any form of xenophobia, religious intolerance and extremism. “It is known that though millions of the followers of different religions have been living in Russia, there were no religious wars in our country. We cannot be indifferent to the persecution of our brothers in the Muslim countries and hope that our Muslim compatriots will extend their support to us. We hope that our fellow believers in other countries share our pain over the suffering Christians and shall seek the ending of persecution and discrimination,” he said. He hopes that the problem of discrimination against Christians will be considered in the context of cooperation among Christians.

The DECR chairman believes that the Pan-Orthodox Council, currently being prepared, will state its opinion on the problem of the persecution of Christians in different regions of the world.

The Conference will continue its work till December the 1st. A communiqué will be issued.

Share:
A meeting of the Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches has taken place

22.04.2025

Сondolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the passing of Pope Francis

21.04.2025

Paschal Message by Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

19.04.2025

Patriarch Kirill addresses Primates of Local Orthodox Churches, Christian Leaders, Heads of State, and International organizations regarding law banning the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church

11.04.2025

Primate of the Russian Church leads celebrations in Donskoy Monastery marking the centenary of Patriarch Tikhon’s demise

06.04.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his enthronement

29.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences over devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand

28.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends congratulations to Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends letter to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch concerning tragic developments in Syria

11.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates the Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral

09.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of Malankara Church

08.03.2025

Delegation of the Malankara Church attends Patriarchal Liturgy on the commemoration day of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

08.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia

06.02.2025

Divine Liturgy celebrated at Christ the Saviour Cathedral on the occasion of the sixteenth anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

01.02.2025

First Hierarch of the Serbian Church visits Donskoy Monastery in Moscow

23.04.2025

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije visits Serbian Metochion in Moscow

23.04.2025

DECR Chairman attends a meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group

22.04.2025

A meeting of the Primates of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches has taken place

22.04.2025

Delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church arrives in Moscow headed by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia

21.04.2025

DECR Chairman expresses condolences on the passing of Pope Francis

21.04.2025

Primate of the Russian Church leads celebrations in Donskoy Monastery marking the centenary of Patriarch Tikhon’s demise

06.04.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk visits the Resurrection Church in Hakodate

31.03.2025

DECR Chairman participates in Divine Service at the Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo

30.03.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at the Resurrection Church in Seoul

23.03.2025

The Holy Synod confirms a number of appointments regarding the foreign dioceses and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church.

20.03.2025

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Anthony presents report to the Holy Synod on his visits to Lebanon, Albania, Italy, Serbia and Armenia.

20.03.2025

DECR chairman presents Patriarchal award to Primate of Armenian Apostolic Church

18.03.2025

DECR Chairman meets with Primate of Armenian Apostolic Church

17.03.2025

DECR chairman congratulates Archbishop Joani of Tirana and All Albania on his election as Primate of Albanian Orthodox Church

16.03.2025

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب