USCCB’s International Justice and Peace Chair Urges Solidarity with Those Suffering Religious Persecution in Asia, Middle East

INDIANAPOLIS—"Persecution has aface," 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 oralreport to the full body of bishops on the situation of religious discriminationand persecution in Asia and the Middle East.

The oral report is based on hisparticipation last year at the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference PlenaryAssembly in Sri Lanka, where he represented the U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops (USCCB). During the year, BishopCantu also took part in other solidarity visits to India, Iraq and the HolyLand, where he met with bishops, refugees and persecuted people.

"Tragically, religious persecutionand harassment is not limited to one or two regions in our world," said BishopCantú. Citing statistics from the Pew Research Center, Cantu noted that "Christiansare harassed in the largest number of countries, 128, followed closely byMuslims in 125 countries. This is partly due to the fact that Christians andMuslims are the largest religious groups in the world."

Harassment consists of both social hostilitiesand government restrictions. It can include physical assaults, arrests anddetentions, 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 persecutionand genocide," Bishop Cantú said. Regarding the persecution of Christians inthe Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq, he called it "a crisis withina crisis" and argued that "to focus attention on the plight of Christians isnot to ignore the suffering of others." A focus on Christians and otherminorities strengthens "the entire fabric of society to protect the rights ofall" and is "inclusive" of a concern for "both minorities and majorities, bothChristians and Muslims."

Bishop Cantú highlighted the effortsof the local Church in Iraq to reach out to all in need in partnership withCaritas Iraq and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). He also pointed to theimportance for the U.S. Church in following the lead of the local Churchesenduring persecution in expressing solidarity, particularly in Syria andIraq.

Even in the midst of persecutionthere are moments of joy. He contrastedthe image of "a tent camp for Christians" covering "the Church grounds acrossthe street from our hotel" in Erbil with attending "the ordination of threedeacons in Erbil" where "the Cathedral erupted [in joy] when a displaced manfrom Mosul was ordained."

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

•  Providingassistance to refugees and displaced persons, including through faith-based organizationslike CRS:
• Assistingin the resettlement of refugees, including victims of genocidal actions andother vulnerable families.
• Encouragingcentral and regional governments in Iraq and Syria to strengthen the rule oflaw 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 andCatholics in the United States, who wish to help, to:  

• Prayfor those suffering from persecution.
• Becomeaware of the Christian presence in the Middle East and of an accurateunderstanding of Islam with openness to dialogue with Muslim neighbors. Resourcesare available at: www.usccb.org/middle-east-christians.
• Donateto non-profit Catholic organizations such as CRS, Catholic Near East WelfareAssociation (CNEWA), Aid to the Church in Need and the Knights of Columbus.
• Advocatewith the U.S. government for assistance and the dignity of refugees.

Bishop Cantú also shared with thebishops the research study In Response toPersecution, conducted by the University of Notre Dame's Center for Ethicsand Culture, the Religious Freedom Institute, and Georgetown University'sReligious Freedom Research Project. Thestudy is available at: https://ucs.nd.edu/assets/233538/ucs_report_2017_web.pdf.

---

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

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:
Norma Montenegro Flynn
@email