EUROPE/ALBANIA - Cardinal Erdo: "We ask the democratic governments and the European Union to be more demanding towards the governments of countries where religious freedom is not respected"

Tirana (Agenzia Fides) - "Today, all experts who check the situation of religious freedom in the world agree that Christians are those most persecuted because of their faith. This worries us very much. There is no real security and solidarity when there is no full respect for the right to religious freedom". This was underlined by Cardinal Péter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, and CCEE (Council of European Bishops' Conferences) President, who opened the Plenary Assembly yesterday afternoon, held in Tirana from 29 September October 2 (see Fides 26/9/2011).
Thinking of "all the Christians who are persecuted in different parts of the world", Cardinal Erdo conveyed to them the closeness of the Church in Europe: "Your difficult situation is known to us and we will never forget you". Then he continued: "At the same time, we ask the democratic governments and the European Union, which so many times have shown their commitment in the defense of human rights, to be more demanding towards the governments of countries where religious freedom is not respected. The fact that in today’s Europe such resounding cases of persecution are not frequent, must not make us forget, anyway, that even here the social milieu is not exempt of problems. It is enough to have a look at the facts reported by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe to be taken aback in the face of the number of cases of discriminated persons in Europe in a covert or evident manner, in their place of work or in various areas of social life, just because they are Christians".
In his Prolusion, Cardinal Erdo underlined how in Europe "the influence of a certain anti-Christian attitude is spreading systematically in the media, in school books or in public opinion ... In all these cases, Christian faith or the Church are often treated unfairly and using disinformation. It is also worrying to notice how, often in the social networks, pages with Christian content are systematically excluded or censored. We cannot remain silent in the face of the attacks on religious freedom wherever they happen". Therefore, recalling the theme that the Assembly will focus on, that is to say: the New Evangelization, the CCEE President revealed: "In the face of this scenario, also the Church in Europe is working for the renewal of the society in which she lives, through the announcement of the Good News, in renewed and present-day forms, so well expressed by the idea of a New Evangelization". (SL) (Agenzia Fides 30/09/2011)