INDIANAPOLIS—”Persecution has a
face,” said Bishop Oscar Cantú, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, chairman of the U.S.
Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, as he presented an oral
report to the full body of bishops on the situation of religious discrimination
and persecution in Asia and the Middle East.

The oral report is based on his
participation last year at the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference Plenary
Assembly in Sri Lanka, where he represented the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB). During the year, Bishop
Cantu also took part in other solidarity visits to India, Iraq and the Holy
Land, where he met with bishops, refugees and persecuted people.

“Tragically, religious persecution
and harassment is not limited to one or two regions in our world,” said Bishop
Cantú. Citing statistics from the Pew Research Center, Cantu noted that “Christians
are harassed in the largest number of countries, 128, followed closely by
Muslims in 125 countries. This is partly due to the fact that Christians and
Muslims are the largest religious groups in the world.”

Harassment consists of both social hostilities
and government restrictions. It can include physical assaults, arrests and
detentions, desecration of holy sites, and discrimination in housing,
employment and educational opportunities.
In Asia, Bishop Cantú learned about concerns in countries like Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Malaysia.

“At times, it rises to persecution
and genocide,” Bishop Cantú said. Regarding the persecution of Christians in
the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq, he called it “a crisis within
a crisis” and argued that “to focus attention on the plight of Christians is
not to ignore the suffering of others.” A focus on Christians and other
minorities strengthens “the entire fabric of society to protect the rights of
all” and is “inclusive” of a concern for “both minorities and majorities, both
Christians and Muslims.”

Bishop Cantú highlighted the efforts
of the local Church in Iraq to reach out to all in need in partnership with
Caritas Iraq and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). He also pointed to the
importance for the U.S. Church in following the lead of the local Churches
enduring persecution in expressing solidarity, particularly in Syria and
Iraq.

Even in the midst of persecution
there are moments of joy. He contrasted
the image of “a tent camp for Christians” covering “the Church grounds across
the street from our hotel” in Erbil with attending “the ordination of three
deacons in Erbil” where “the Cathedral erupted [in joy] when a displaced man
from Mosul was ordained.”

In his report, Bishop Cantú also highlighted
the following recommendations for the U.S. government that include:

Providing
assistance to refugees and displaced persons, including through faith-based organizations
like CRS: Assisting
in the resettlement of refugees, including victims of genocidal actions and
other vulnerable families. Encouraging
central and regional governments in Iraq and Syria to strengthen the rule of
law based on citizenship, to insure the protection of vulnerable minorities,
and to improve policing, judiciary and local governance with the help of U.S.
assistance.

He also invited the Church and
Catholics in the United States, who wish to help, to:

Pray
for those suffering from persecution. Become
aware of the Christian presence in the Middle East and of an accurate
understanding of Islam with openness to dialogue with Muslim neighbors. Resources
are available at: www.usccb.org/middle-east-christians.Donate
to non-profit Catholic organizations such as CRS, Catholic Near East Welfare
Association (CNEWA), Aid to the Church in Need and the Knights of Columbus.Advocate
with the U.S. government for assistance and the dignity of refugees.

Bishop Cantú also shared with the
bishops the research study In Response to
Persecution, conducted by the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics
and Culture, the Religious Freedom Institute, and Georgetown University’s
Religious Freedom Research Project. The
study is available at: https://ucs.nd.edu/assets/233538/ucs_report_2017_web.pdf.

—

Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Oscar Cantú, Committee on International Justice and
Peace, Christians, religious persecution, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal,
Malaysia, Syria, Iraq, Caritas Iraq, Catholic Relief Services, CRS, CNEWA, Aid
to the Church in Need, Knights of Columbus, genocide, Muslims, resettlement,
U.S. government

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:
Norma Montenegro Flynn
media-relations@usccb.org

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops