Every year 105,000 Christians are killed
because of their faith.
This shocking figure was disclosed by Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne, representative of the OSCE (Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe) on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination
against Christians, at the “International Conference on Inter-religious
dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims,” sponsored the Hungarian
presidency of the European Union (EU) in Gödöllo,
near Budapest.
“Every five minutes”, Introvigne said in his speech, “a Christian is killed for
his faith." The figure does not include the victims of civil wars, or wars
between nations, but only the people put to death because they are Christians.
"If
these figures are not cried out to the world, if this massacre is not stopped,"
Introvigne continued; "if it is not recognized
that the persecution against Christians is the first worldwide emergency with
regard to religious discrimination and violence, dialogue between religions will only produce
wonderful symposia but no concrete results."
The conference on peaceful coexistence
between religions was hosted by the Hungarian government as a highlight of its
EU presidency of the European Union and saw among its participants Cardinal Péter Erdo of Budapest; the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista
Pizzaballa; Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliň, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants; Maronite Archbishop of Beirut Paul Matar;
Metropolitan Hilarion, “foreign minister” of the
Russian Orthodox Church; the representative of the European Jewish Congress Gusztáv Zoltai, that of the
Organization of Islamic Conference Ömür Orhun; and the general secretary of the Committee for
Islamic-Christian dialogue in Lebanon, Chakib Hares Chehab.
The Egyptian diplomat Mahmoud
Aly assured participants that his country is about to
pass laws that will protect Christian minorities, by prosecuting crimes as hate
speech and banning hostile gatherings of outside churches.
“But the danger is for many
Christian communities in the