Contemporary Martyrs

Contemporary Martyrs
The sectarian clashes that left 25 dead and more than 300 wounded in Cairo, Egypt, are threatening to break the fragile balance among the different Egyptian religious communities. While the Copt community cried over its dead, new clashes were errupting at the doors of the Copt Hospital in Cairo, where 17 Christian victims laid dead.
An Italian newspaper of the Holy See, “L’Osservatore Romano” (the Roman Observer), published the declaration made by Pope Benedict XVI on behalf of defending the Christian population in Egypt. The Pope empathized with the families of the victims that were killed due to violent religious intollerance in Egypt. Pope Benedict urged the faithful to pray for society to enjoy true peace based on justice, respect for liberty, and human dignity. www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_spa/
Furthermore, Al Qaeda planned a Christian killing in Alessandria, Egypt, where only 15 percent of the population is Christian. In the attack, 20 people were killed. On the other side of the world, hundreds of Islamic extremists put fire to various Christian churches in Indonesia.
According to Fides (the Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927), the number of Christians murdered in Turkey throughout last year was 23, out of which 17 were priests, 2 seminarians, 3 seculars, and Bishop Luigi Padovese. In Latin America, 10 priests, a monk, a seminarian, and 3 seculars were murdered. In Brazil, a total of 5 Christians were killed. In Colombia, 3 were assasinated. In Mexico, a total of 4 Catholics were murdered. In Venezuela, Ecuador, and Haiti, 3 Christians were victims of radical intollerance as well. Worldwide, a total of 253 Christians have been killed. http://www.fides.org/index.php?lan=eng
The European Parliament (EP) has enacted a resolution in favor of protecting Christian minorities worldwide. It aims to defame violent agressions carried out against Christian minorities around the world.
Moreover, the EP in Strasbourg reported on the oppressing situation that Christians live today in a context of religious freedom. The communiqué asserts that the European Union (EU) has previously voiced its compromise with religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression. The EU has further emphasized that governments around the world have the duty to guarantee these essential freedoms. The EU also reflects upon blasphemy-based death processes and sentences that have mainly affected women.

The lastest statistical data about religious freedom throughout the last couple of years shows that most religious-based violent acts are committed against the Christian population. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?language=EN&id=146 (Translated by Gianna A. Sánchez Moretti)

Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of publicity and press relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing.
clementeferrer3@gmail.com