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Metropolitan Hilarion: "Revolutionary to the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on the situation of Christians in the world" The

Parliament has recently made an important step by approving a resolution on the situation of Christians in the context of the defense of religious freedom. For the first time the existence of persecution against Christians has been recognized by one of the central organs of the European Parliament.

Here is the comment of the Chairman of the Department for External Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow in this regard:

19 and 20 January the European Parliament has investigated several cases of violence against Christians in the world . On the evening of January 19 Members of Parliament have symbolically lit a candle to remember the victims the recent attacks against Christians. The next day was approved a resolution on the situation of Christians in the context of the defense of religious freedom, which explored the killing or discrimination against Christians in several countries, particularly Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and the Philippines. The data confirms that Christians in these lands are cruelly persecuted. The resolution, addressed to the governments and parliaments of their countries, was approved by a majority of voting members of all parties.

Members agreed to establish a body to monitor the developments in the world and inform annually the European Union institutions and society restrictions on civil liberty of conscience in different countries made by the political or other forces.

The resolution was taken following the attack in Alexandria on January 1, one week later, the Foreign Ministers of France, Italy, Hungary and Poland have sent a joint letter to Catherine Ashton, High Representative for the common foreign and defense policy, requesting a response.

The European Parliament's resolution is revolutionary for several reasons: first of all because for the first time the MEPs have spoken clearly about an issue that so far preferred not to name. A the principal organs of the European Union has in fact recognized the existence of persecution against Christians. Until now individual politicians merely point out violations of the rights of Christians in a given country. Now we talk openly about some of fundamentalist and terrorist organizations that want to strategically eliminate or decimate the Christians in Islamic countries, considered the "fifth column" of the West.

Also for the first time we paid particular attention to the work of people who collect objective evidence about the persecution of Christians in the world. In particular, were officially presented the report data Annual NGO "Kirche in Not". According to the report, in recent years to about 100 victims of religious intolerance, 75 are Christians. These data are shocking.

In its resolution, the Parliament proposed concrete actions based on a specific underlying principle: money and business in exchange for respect for human rights. Economic agreements between European countries and countries where violations are taking place regularly in the religious freedom of Christians and other religious minorities should be made only if the situation improves.

[...] Today we see many cases not only of violence but rather the elimination of Christians. Their blood still flows the land of biblical stories, the places where they have witnessed many martyrs and confessors of the faith. In the words of Tertullian, the second century Roman writer, "the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity." Of course, violence does not damage the Christian faith, unlike the beef, but this does not mean that we must be calm in the face of injustice towards the Christians. Religious leaders must carefully study and analyze each individual case.

The recent acts of violence against Christians have left even indifferent Muslims, Jews and representatives of other major world religions. Paradoxically, the news of violence against Christians will come to often from countries where for centuries people of different religions have lived peacefully together and where they were condemned acts of religious intolerance.

The resolution proposes the creation of monitoring systems. However, these important and timely warnings will only succeed if we create a continuous and effective dialogue between religious communities and national and international structures. [...]

The Russian Church for several years has aimed to create this kind of dialogue, which is why he established the Moscow Patriarchate representatives from major international organizations in New York, Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg. A key priority of these institutions is the defense of the Christian tradition and the rights of Christians, the fundamental theme in the dialogue between the Russian Church and the inter-Christian institutions.