{"id":2166,"date":"2017-10-20T14:14:55","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T13:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/?p=2166"},"modified":"2025-05-26T14:17:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T13:17:46","slug":"hungary-hosts-first-ever-government-conference-for-persecuted-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/2017\/10\/20\/hungary-hosts-first-ever-government-conference-for-persecuted-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"Hungary Hosts First Ever Government Conference for Persecuted Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article originally published on\u00a0ncregister.com. Written by\u00a0Edward Pentin.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hungary, Budapest<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n opens conference by calling on nations, particularly in Europe, to cast aside political correctness, stand up against Christian persecution, and defend the roots of Christian civilization.<\/p>\n

It is time for Europe to free itself from the shackles of political correctness, speak the truth, and face the facts about the violent persecution of Christians, Hungary\u2019s Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n said on Thursday, October 12.<\/p>\n

In a hard-hitting speech delivered at the opening of the first major conference ever held by a government in support of persecuted Christians, Orb\u00e1n said that the \u201cforced expulsion\u201d of Christians from parts of the Middle East and Africa are \u201ccrimes\u201d against the people and communities concerned that also \u201cthreaten our European values.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world should understand that what is at stake today is nothing less than the future of the European way of life, and of our identity,\u201d he told the delegates in Budapest.<\/p>\n

Over 300 participants from 30 countries, including Christian leaders and representatives from think tanks and charities, gathered for the Oct. 11-13 international consultation on Christian persecution \u2014 \u201cFinding the Appropriate Answers to a Long Neglected Crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hungarian leader, who has been an outspoken defender of Christian values in Europe \u2014 and has suffered a backlash from the European Union and others as a result \u2014 said it is time to \u201cliberate\u201d the issue from the \u201cshackles of political correctness and human rights incantations which conflate everything with everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather, he said, we are \u201cduty bound\u201d to use facts and \u201cstraight-forward language\u201d in describing these events and to \u201cidentify the dangers that threaten us.\u201d Four out of five persecuted people are Christians, Orb\u00e1n noted, and the religion is the most persecuted in the world today, yet the international media gives it \u201clittle coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, he said the \u201cgreatest danger\u201d is the \u201cindifferent, apathetic silence of a Europe which denies its Christian roots.\u201d The fate of what is happening in the Middle East should \u201cbring home to Europe\u201d what \u201cmay also happen to us\u201d he said, at a time when European governments are pursuing an immigration policy that allows in \u201cdangerous extremists\u201d and will \u201cutterly transform\u201d its culture, ethnicity and Christian identity within a \u201cfew generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

After centuries of fighting to defend the \u201cwhole of Christian Europe,\u201d and having lived under atheistic Communist dictatorships for much of the 20th century, Orb\u00e1n said it is a \u201ccruel, absurd joke of fate\u201d to be again living as members of a community \u201cunder siege.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for all these reasons, he said Hungary wishes to be at the forefront of helping persecuted Christians, and referred to the watchman in the Book of Ezekiel to underline its responsibility: \u201cIf a watchman sees the enemy approaching and does not sound the alarm, the Lord will hold that watchman accountable for the deaths of those killed as a result of his inaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEurope is a Christian continent,\u201d he said, \u201cand this is how we want to keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orb\u00e1n highlighted the fact that Hungary, although only a \u201cmedium sized European state,\u201d is a \u201cstable country\u201d and unlike many other countries, is therefore in a position to \u201cspeak up for persecuted Christians.\u201d But he stressed it\u2019s not just about talking but acting, and he drew attention to some of the initiatives it has taken, in particular being the only government to set up a ministry dedicated to helping persecuted Christians. (The Deputy State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians began work last year.)<\/p>\n

He gave an overview of its achievements so far, which include rebuilding Christian homes, funding scholarships, and resettling displaced Christians. He said he drew attention to these deeds not to \u201cburnish our reputation\u201d (he said the government avoids \u201cdoing good things out of calculation, as good deeds must come from the heart, and for the glory of God\u201d) but rather to serve as an example to other countries in the hope they might do likewise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we support the return of persecuted Christians to their homelands, the Hungarian people is fulfilling a mission,\u201d Orb\u00e1n said, noting that Hungary\u2019s Constitution recognizes \u201cthe role of Christianity in preserving nationhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we recognize this for ourselves, then we also recognize it for other nations,\u201d he said. Hungarians, he added, want Christian communities returning to their homelands, becoming \u201cforces for the preservation of their own countries, just as, for us, Hungarian Christianity is a force for preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He closed by urging Europe\u2019s politicians \u201cto cast aside politically correct modes of speech\u201d and \u201chuman rights-induced caution\u201d and instead \u201cdo everything within their power for persecuted Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Open Eyes of Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two day conference featured a wide variety of speakers who underlined a number of common themes: that Christian communities in the Middle East are on the brink of extinction; that the West is showing a lamentable amount of attention and concern to their plight (but which they often give to other persecuted groups instead); and the need to give aid directly to those affected through the churches so Christians can remain, be resettled, and rebuild their homes and lives.<\/p>\n

All the foreign speakers heaped praise on Hungary for stepping up to the plate and offering tangible help specifically for Christians.<\/p>\n

The president of the Hungarian bishops\u2019 conference, Bishop Andr\u00e0s Veres of Gy\u00f6r, highlighted Hungary\u2019s own history of suffering in defense of the faith which has given \u201ccompassion in our own hearts\u201d and admiration for the \u201ccourage\u201d of today\u2019s persecuted Christians.<\/p>\n

Zolt\u00e1n Balog, minister for Human Capacities who runs the ministry for persecuted Christians, said loving others does not mean covering up the truth nor failing to express it. Drawing attention to the plight of Christians, and the work his ministry is doing, is vital to \u201copen the eyes of people in Europe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe Hungarians were sentenced to death many times. Hungary was told it was going to disappear, but we learned to swim against the tide, and today we need to swim together\u201d in order to \u201cadvance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad, in a message delivered by Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, expressed \u201cheartfelt thanks\u201d to the Hungarian government for the help they have received in this \u201ctragic situation.\u201d (He noted, for example, its donation of $2.4 million to support 1,000 families to return to the predominantly Christian Iraqi city of Teleskof that was overrun by ISIS in 2014.)<\/p>\n

He said there was a drastic decline of Iraqi Christians, from 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 500,000 today. He also warned that a Sept. 25 referendum in which 90 percent of Kurds in northern Iraq voted to secede from Iraq has \u201caccelerated tensions\u201d between Iraqis and Kurds, leading to \u201cthe drums of war.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it leads to a new military conflict, he said, \u201cthe consequences will be a disaster for all and minorities will pay the highest price.\u201d He foresaw for certain \u201canother exodus of Christians\u201d if that happened, adding he could see \u201cno guarantees\u201d to stop the \u201cvanishing of an innocent and peaceful people, violently forced from their homeland because of their faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Archbishop Warda was more optimistic, telling the Register later that he believed all these political disputes can be resolved, and it now could even be \u201cthe time to resolve them for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are fed up with crisis after crisis,\u201d he said, adding that he and other Church leaders have been imploring the politicians to dialogue. If these issues are indefinitely postponed, \u201cit\u2019s not healthy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In his speech, Patriarch Sako called on the international community to help, especially the U.S. which has a particular \u201cmoral responsibility,\u201d and highlighted the importance of education; security and stability in liberated areas; humanitarian assistance; and the dismantling of fundamentalist ideologies.<\/p>\n

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II said there was a \u201creal danger\u201d Christianity could just become a \u201cmuseum\u201d in the Middle East, noting that Iraq has lost 80-90% of its Christian population, and Syria, 40-45%. Christianity might be growing worldwide, he said, but where it is uprooted, it\u2019s not always easy to replant a tree in new soil.<\/p>\n

And if the West really cared about them, he added, \u201cthey would try to do something,\u201d which is why he greatly appreciated Hungary\u2019s efforts. Instead, he said the international community seems more concerned about protecting \u201cspecies of vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to be very blunt but this is how we feel,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re being killed by groups sometimes supported by Western powers \u2026 and the international community overlooks what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Avoid the \u201cThree Ps\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan stressed that Middle East Christians are not an \u201cimported\u201d but indigenous people who have lived there for millennia. He urged those who have a \u201cvoice on the international scene\u201d to avoid \u201cthree Ps\u201d: Paternalism (looking on them as if they\u2019re very young and need to go through what the West went through in the Middle Ages); Profitism (viewing the region as a place to exploit); and Panderism (pandering to Islam and Muslim countries).<\/p>\n

As with many other speakers from the Middle East, he said he felt \u201cbetrayed and abandoned\u201d by the West. When he gives a speech, the Patriarch said it is as though he has to \u201cstand up to be seen, speak loud to be heard, and shut up to be appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church, highlighted how, in Syria, Russian troops have been protecting churches, setting up security zones, and working with the Vatican and Lebanon to get the UN Human Rights Council to support the rights of Christians in the Middle East. The \u201ctime has come,\u201d he said, for Christians to unite and \u201crebuff the misanthropic ideology of extremism.\u201d<\/p>\n

He later told the Register he agreed with Orb\u00e1n that it is important to \u201cname things the way they are,\u201d adding he was glad to see an EU politician willing to go \u201ccontrary to trends of political correctness and say what he thinks.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also agreed with Orb\u00e1n\u2019s warnings to Europe, saying its general immigration policy \u201cis very shortsighted and in the long run it may bring disastrous results for European identity.\u201d A Europe which denies its own Christian identity and roots \u201cwill be destined to annihilation,\u201d Metropolitan Hilarion predicted. \u201cIf Europe officially denies Christ and Christianity, in a few generations there will be other people living in Europe professing other faiths.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a message read out to the conference, Cardinal Christoph Sch\u00f6nborn of Vienna said the scale of Christian persecution \u201cis not widely appreciated\u201d and being a Christian has \u201cnever been as dangerous as it is today.\u201d As Christians \u201cwe\u2019re called to take a stand for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

American Steve Rasche, director of the Nineveh Reconstruction Project based in Erbil, gave an overview of the reconstruction efforts and fully endorsed Hungary\u2019s approach of direct investment through churches \u2014 a common sense approach, he said, as opposed to giving aid through governments and the UN which \u201cstands common sense on its head.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he has testified on behalf of Iraq\u2019s Christians in Congress, the UK parliament and elsewhere but \u201cwe\u2019re still waiting\u201d for a response. \u201cTaking this action has not been easy for Hungary, it\u2019s created much talk in the EU, but talk is all we\u2019ve received from the EU while the people are disappearing,\u201d Rasche said. \u201cWell let them talk. The people of Hungary have acted and the persecuted know who has truly helped them and who has not.\u201d<\/p>\n

UN Corruption<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, congratulated Hungary for a \u201cmagnificent conference\u201d and for \u201cstanding up unapologetically for persecuted Christians.\u201d She called for more governments to imitate Hungary, and criticized the UN for, among other things, \u201cdiverting money\u201d away from minorities who have \u201csuffered the most grievously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many expressed disappointment with the Trump administration for not following through with campaign promises. Shea said it needs to stop funneling money through the UN, and also highlighted a bureaucratic \u201ccold indifference\u201d or \u201cdislike of Christians\u201d among some staff, many of whom were appointed during the Obama presidency. What is needed are \u201cright political appointees,\u201d Shea told the Register, and for Trump to \u201cissue directives to his cabinet.\u201d She said she is \u201cbewildered\u201d that after nine months since Trump took office, \u201cthings have not changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Father Benedict Kiely, founder of the charity Nasarean.org for persecuted Christians, said the \u201cjury is really still out\u201d on Trump. \u201cHe continually says he\u2019s not a politician but unless he holds to some of his promises, he will be proving he is a politician,\u201d he said. \u201cTime is running out for his promises now to be put into action into defending Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some signs of hope for greater inter-governmental involvement came on the second day when Hungary\u2019s foreign minister, P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, announced that Hungary and Italy had agreed to join forces to help persecuted Christians. He stressed that Hungary\u2019s willingness to stand up for Christians does not mean \u201cbeing against others\u201d but that political correctness \u201cdoesn\u2019t enable us to speak up and represent the interests of Christians as we would like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many times do we specifically say the word Christians? Zero,\u201d he said. \u201cWe say \u2018protect minorities or communities,\u2019 but we dare not talk about protection of Christians. That\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis politically correct hypocrisy has to change,\u201d he said. \u201cWe mustn\u2019t use double standards, as if persecution of Christians is the last acceptable form of discrimination.\u201d He added that Hungary would \u201ctake up those initiatives where we are able to attract international institutions and get them involved in protecting persecuted Christians and those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n

But not all agreed with a tendency at the conference to portray persecuted Christians as victims with a focus on the injustice. Speaking to the Register, Amal Marogy, an Iraqi native now living in England and running the Aradin Charitable Trust, stressed that land, possessions, and property are all \u201csecondary\u201d to what Christians believe is ultimately important: that \u201cfaith is the highest and most valuable thing we have in life.\u201d Forgiveness is therefore crucial, she said, and only that way will it be possible to bring healing and bring Muslims to the faith.<\/p>\n

Hungary Helps<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also discussed at the conference was the \u201cHungary Helps\u201d initiative under which the government\u2019s help for Christians is managed. The program aims to help give people futures in their homelands rather than leaving their community. The idea behind it is not an anti-immigrant one, they stressed, but rather based on their own history. Parliamentary State Secretary Bence R\u00e9tv\u00e1ri recalled how 800,000 Hungarians were forcibly taken to the far reaches of the Soviet Union throughout the Soviet occupation, and a large number of them never returned. \u201cWe\u2019re therefore especially sensitive to people exposed to violence by foreign armed forces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

P\u00e9ter Heltai, Hungary Helps\u2019 ambassador-at-large, said the project is also aimed at lifting up and \u201cspeaking up\u201d for these minorities \u201cso western countries will listen.\u201d He gave examples of the help Hungary has given, from donating $450,000 to build a new school in Erbil to spending $1.7 million renovating 32 churches in Lebanon.<\/p>\n

Tristan Azbej, Hungary\u2019s deputy state secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, closed the conference by saying many people had congratulated the government on the event, but he said \u201ctime will tell\u201d if it is a success, if action is taken on what was discussed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was about sowing seeds that can grow into success, and we hope turn into fruits that will help us to find other governments to help, to solve the problems of persecuted Christians,\u201d he said. He noted it was a pity more political leaders were not present, but that was something they will try to improve on in the future.<\/p>\n

He said there isn\u2019t a clash of civilizations but rather a lack of awareness of what is happening, and \u201cour worst problem now: not listening.\u201d Azbej spoke of two crises: the loss of Christian identity due to secularism in the West, and violent persecution in the Middle East and other regions.<\/p>\n

He also highlighted the importance of the \u201cBudapest Declaration\u201d \u2014 a list of recommendations agreed upon by the conference participants. Among the proposals is to call on governments to implement long term solutions to end the persecution of Christians.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a political document imposed on others,\u201d Azbej said, \u201cbut a message to persecuted Christians saying: you brothers and sisters are not alone, we\u2019re listening to you and we\u2019ll take your concerns to the international organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to act, to listen to the voices of those in need,\u201d the Hungarian official said. \u201cAt the beginning we greeted you with the words that God brought you to Hungary\u2026 May God be with us on the road ahead that we will travel together.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Article originally published on\u00a0ncregister.com. Written by\u00a0Edward Pentin. Hungary, Budapest\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n opens conference by calling on nations, particularly in Europe, to cast aside political correctness, stand up against Christian persecution, and defend the roots of Christian civilization. It is time for Europe to free itself from the shackles of political correctness, speak the truth,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"acf":{"subtitle":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visegradpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}