Persecution of Christians today

It is incredible how some images, referring to particular situations, somehow remain seared in one's mind. Thus, the Nazi officer holding a whip under the chin of an elderly Jewish woman or the badly burnt young girl running away naked after an aerial bombardment in Vietnam or the man with the shopping bag trying to block the advancing tank on Tiananmen square in 1989 all remain indelible pictures.

However, there is another image belonging to the last century which, although perhaps less well-known, has much significance especially for those who profess the Christian faith. This is the film footage of the blowing up using explosives of Christ the Saviour Orthodox cathedral in Moscow (now rebuilt) during the Stalinist regime of the Thirties. The hatred of the Communist regime had reached its apex. This should not cause too much surprise since Christ himself had predicted to his followers that, since no servant is better than his master, persecution will be their lot as it had been for him.

There are many, even among Christians, who believe that the worst persecution that the Church ever encountered was during the first three centuries of the Christian era, before Christianity was officially accepted and tolerated throughout the Roman Empire. Christians certainly underwent untold cruelty during these centuries but it is now widely ascertained that the 20th century persecution of Christians remains unsurpassed. In Nazi concentration camps, especially Dachau, thousands of religious were killed and this came after the brutal persecution of the Church during the Mexican revolution and the Spanish Civil War.

Communism's persecution of Christians continued unabated till the fall of the various Communist governments just over a decade ago. Sadly enough, the Western world simply looked the other way basking in its freedom after the devastation of World War II. On the other hand for half of Europe freedom just did not come about and one dictatorial regime had simply been substituted by another.

Millions of Christians of all denominations were harassed, prevented from furthering their studies or obtaining a job, often tortured, killed or sent to harsh labour camps because of their faith in Christ.

What is the situation today at the beginning of the third millennium? Well, we can safely say that presently Christians are persecuted in many countries and to the lasting shame of the Western media this persecution is largely ignored. It is tragically ironic that the media prefer to dwell and linger over the misdeeds of the Church during the past centuries and shut their eyes to the sufferings inflicted upon Christians today.

In Vietnam, for example, the Communist government is determined to eradicate Christianity from the country and therefore the gentle, saintly archbishop of Saigon, Francis Xavier van Thuan, who has recently died, had to bear 13 years of solitary confinement in a damp cell.

Moreover, in this country, the Montagnard people who inhabit the central highlands, who are ethnically different and practise Christianity, a religion different from that of the largely Buddhist population, have been severely persecuted for a long time.

In India, Hindu extremists systematically persecute Christians and in China the faithful belonging to the underground Catholic Church loyal to the Pope have been for long years forced to practise their faith in secret and when caught, priests and bishops included, are often imprisoned or even just 'disappear'. Under certain Muslim governments, then, such as that of Saudi Arabia, the practice of Christianity is forbidden outright and anyone caught practising the faith has to pay a very high price for doing so.

Why is the Western world and especially the media, ever vigilant and so eager to offer wide coverage when anything negative happens in the Church, for example the paedophile scandals, so hesitant in reporting what Christians are today enduring to remain faithful to their faith and to their Church?

The sins of omission by the media sometimes constitute a much greater offence than the sins of commission, and the whole truth very often takes the back seat. As Christ had foretold, the persecution of those who believe in him continues unabated, even in the supposedly tolerant and enlightened 21st century. It is up to Christians to remain close to their co-religionists in their sufferings and to make their fate as widely known as possible even by protesting to the governments carrying out such persecution.

Finally, the tool of prayer remains unsurpassed as do the Lord's words that notwithstanding appearances to the contrary, the gates of Hell shall never prevail and His presence in the Church will remain certain till the end of time.