few weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI made a statement that I was quite revealing: "The Christians are now the religious group that suffers the greatest number of persecution because of their faith. (...) In other regions there are more quiet and sophisticated forms of prejudice and position towards the believers and religious symbols. All this is not acceptable, because it is an affront to God and human dignity is also a threat to security and peace, and prevents the execution of an authentic integral human development "(Message for World Day of Peace 8-XII-2010).
Also, around Christmas and in recent days, the Pope has been pointing to specific nations where Christians are persecuted, threatened or killed, as For example, in some Islamic countries.
Even in certain regions of the world, it seems that the civil authorities seek to crush or wipe out the religious convictions of believers. In others, create internal divisions, as with the case of China where the Communist government has created a kind of Catholic Church "parallel" and which is intended to award the right to appoint bishops and priests to manipulate, making ignore appointments to the hierarchy that makes the Vatican, in authentic and faithful to the uninterrupted succession coming from the Twelve Apostles.
This reminds me of the days of Christ War in our country, when President Plutarco Elias Calles, in its zeal to stamp out Catholicism, appointed Patriarch Perez, to chair the "Mexican Catholic Church, which was not an emulation of what made Adolf Hitler-leader Streets on the particular admiration felt by erecting the "German Catholic Church" to impose their personal views and openly challenging the guidelines of the German bishops and the Holy See.
But there are other more subtle forms of attacks on religions to respect the Pope, for example in France, which seeks to prohibit Moslem women wear the Islamic veil to complete you need to extend it to the members of the Jewish people in order that no visibly carry the Star of David and, ultimately, to take this measure to ban crucifixes also be placed in the classrooms of Catholic schools or public places being that the French people have a deep Christian roots and centuries.
know that the right to profess a religion, whatever it is essential for the full exercise of freedom of every woman and every man. Throughout the history of humanity, when we have tried to trample the right of priority, have committed serious abuses against human dignity. Karol Wojtyla
, the future Pope John Paul II, in his memoirs and memories as a priest, tells in detail how during the Second World War and then after the war, he and other Polish seminarians who wanted to conduct studies of philosophy and theology to receive priestly ordination, they were forced to receive these classes in private homes. And it had to be constantly changing homes by fierce persecution from both the Nazis and then schemes with the Communists.
"Religious freedom is not the prerogative of believers continues to expose Benedict XVI, but the entire family of nations of the earth. Is an essential element of the rule of law; can not be denied without damage while the other rights and fundamental freedoms, as is its synthesis and its summit. "
Clearly if religious freedom is denied, it is easy to fall into the totalitarian temptation of the denial of other rights. Thus, there is nothing more civilized in a country how to live with respect and healthy pluralism with believers of different religions. When you breathe the air of freedom, strengthens the rule of law.
Moreover, the "haters of God," in almost all cases, unaware that the true "temple" is carried into the hearts of believers and is not merely buildings of church buildings.
give an example. When Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin came to power, made the unjust decision to destroy practically all churches with bulldozers in the area of \u200b\u200bUkraine, where many Catholics lived. And, not content with this, hundreds of them (the East German, Polish, Ukrainian ...) the deported Kazajtán (country located almost on the border with China) in order to completely eradicate the Christian faith.
In 1989, with the collapse of Marxist-Leninist system, some even think that in these regions there was no Catholic. In the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, priests began arriving soon to restart the work of evangelization. Older people came to the priests, with distrust and suspicion, and asked if they came from Rome, if they obeyed the Pope, if they lived apostolic celibacy, poverty, etc.
In finding that the answers were affirmative, they told the clerics that their faith was kept alive, had retained some bricks in the houses of those churches destroyed. On Sundays, they gathered at the home of a loyal, they laid the bricks on a table and around it-with their old missals, followed with devotion the prayers of the Mass and, ultimately, a lack of Eucharist made a Spiritual Communion. And this tradition is passed from generation to generation. So that the flame of faith burning continued, perhaps with more intensity, precisely for that environment so adverse and hostile.
Another bishop who came to Russia, asked the faithful what he most desired. Mind that first impression, he thought they would ask food, medicine, clothes ... However, the unanimous response was that they longed to have Bibles to read and meditate on the Word of God and other spiritual books.
A priest friend of mine, which currently holds his pastoral work in Moscow, told me that he was surprised and delighted to be observed filled the churches, particularly of young people.
But how to react to persecution? First, by praying and following the example of Jesus Christ, forgiving and praying for the conversion of these persecutors. Then, take an active part in civic life para-through peaceful means, dialogue, conciliation and democratic opening is looking to defend and promote laws to respect religious freedom. This topic will not be inaction or neglect of duty.
Finally, do apostolate and bring souls to God. Some people mistakenly think that it is the sole task of priests, nuns and missionaries. It leaves to be a comfortable position, too. The reality is that all lay people, by the mere fact of being baptized, so solemnly proclaimed the Second Vatican Council and in the midst of our daily work, of family and social relations, we have the right and duty to influence willingly positive effect on others, spiritual horizons open up, to share the joy of discovering the wonder of being friends of God.
Because if every Christian or Christian seeks to influence his small circle of colleagues in the daily work with loved ones or friends, this behavior has a multiplier effect, as the rock-fall in the lake, the ripples formed and are spreading, and all that just by re-Christianize the environment or society. That was precisely the example we have received of the Early Christians: for the second century and were widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin because they had great faith, an entrepreneurial spirit and great courage and boldness, virtues, no doubt, we imitate this critical juncture of our time.
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