Scottish Catholic Education Service | SCES

Promoting and supporting Catholic Education in Scotland

  • About SCES
    • Education Structures
    • Executive Board
    • Our Team
    • Who we work with
      • CHAPS
    • Latest News
    • SCES Newsletter
  • Award Schemes
    • Caritas Award
    • Pope Francis Faith Award
  • Catholic Education
    • Catholic Education Week
    • Catholic Schools
    • The Catholic School: Developing in Faith
    • 2018-Catholic Schools Good for Scotland
  • Parents
    • Catholic School Parents
    • Parent Council Contact
    • Pope Francis Loves Families
  • Religious Education
    • This Is Our Faith
    • R.E. Lessons & spiritual support ideas for schools
    • Religious Education S4 to S6
    • Planning Religious Education
    • Equality & Inclusion Learning and Teaching
    • R.E. Resources Weblinks
  • Resources
    • Useful pages on our site
    • Advent Learning
      • Advent Reflections
    • Articles of Faith
    • Daily Gospel Reflection
    • Health & Relationships Education
    • Equality & Inclusion Learning and Teaching
    • Latest resources
    • Liturgical Calendar
    • Lent & Easter
    • Thinking Faith
    • Year of Mercy
  • Teaching
    • Becoming a teacher
      • Setting Out on the Road Course
    • Church Approval
    • Career Long Professional Learning
      • CLPL Events Calendar
    • Teaching Vacancies
  • Laudato Si Schools Scotland

Christianity disappearing from Iraq and Syria

  • Posted on 16/10/2015
  • By:
  • in SCES News 2015-16
  • Home
  • SCES News
  • SCES News 2015-16
  • Christianity disappearing from Iraq

Christianity disappearing from Iraq and Syria

  • Posted on 16/10/2015
  • By: Barbara Coupar
  • in SCES News 2015-16

Christianity is being systematically wiped out in many part of the Middle East. In 20 countries around the world Christians face major discrimination, imprisonment and death for their faith – those are the findings of a new report launched this week by Aid to the Church in Need, at a reception in the House of Lords hosted by Lord Alton.

‘Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2013-15’ concludes that if the exodus of faithful from Iraq continues at existing levels, the Church could all but disappear within five years. An even faster rate of attrition is noted in Syria whose faithful have reportedly plummeted from 1.25 million in 2011 to as few as 500,000 today.

In a message read out at the launch, the Prime Minister stated: “Every day in countries across the world, Christians are systematically discriminated against, exploited and even driven from their homes because of their faith.”

Highlighting the UK Government’s commitment to promoting religious freedom, he described ACN’s work as “crucial”, adding: “This report serves as a voice for the voiceless, from their prison cells, and the places far from home where they have sought refuge.”

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, also sent a message of support for the charity’s report. She said: “Only by publishing reports such as this and identifying the extent and scale of the problem can we hope to take steps to address the persecution of minorities that sadly still exists across the world.”

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations read a message from Pope Francis in which he said: “His Holiness deeply appreciates the efforts of all involved in producing this report and in keeping before the world the plight and suffering of Christians persecuted for their faith. The Pope prays that those in positions of authority will diligently strive not only to eradicate religious discrimination and persecution in their own nations, but also to seek ever more effective ways to promote international cooperation in order to overcome these offences against human dignity and religious freedom.”

There were moving testimonies from Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart from Aleppo; Victoria Youhanna, a slight young woman from northern Nigeria, who escaped from Islamist terror group Boko Haram earlier this year; and Timothy Cho, a Christian student who experienced persecution in North Korea.

Archbishop Jeanbart gave a harrowing account of life in Syria. He pointed out that in Turkey three days of national mourning had been declared after the recent bomb attack. What should the authorities do in Syria where thousands have been killed or displaced, he asked. The Archbishop lamented the destruction of Syrian antiquities, particularly the ancient city of Palmyra. He described the 82 year-old archaeologist murdered by ISIS as a “Muslim martyr.” He praised Britain’s pluralistic society and appealed for British support. “We are facing our worst crisis in 2,000 years. We are suffering floods of blood” he said.

The report was launched in St Mary’s Cathedral Aberdeen on Thursday 15th October 2015.

Summary of the report ‘Persecuted and Forgotten?’ is attached below.  Read the full report here: www.acnuk.org

 

Persecuted and Forgotten?

Download 101.89 KB 52 downloads
.   

 

 

Share Now
Previous Post

Children Helping Children Crazy Hair Day

Next Post

ANNOUNCE Conference

Facebook Twitter
Top

Scottish Catholic Education Service | SCES ©2020 SCES All rights reserved. Design by Media Design

Login Here

I wish to make a donation

or
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT

X

Booking for: Event Name

Register now

Submit

Find my booking for Event Name

Form Text: We have to look up your booking in order to change it.

Find my booking

Successfully booked for Event Name

Successfully update booking for Event Name

Thank You

You have reserved space(s) for Event Name

We have emailed you a confirmation to

Change my booking

{"codes":{"err":"Required fields missing","err2":"Invalid email address","err3":"Please select RSVP option","err4":"Could not update RSVP, please contact us.","err5":"Could not find RSVP, please try again.","err6":"Invalid Validation code.","err7":"Could not create a RSVP please try later.","err8":"You can only RSVP once for this event.","err9":"Your party size exceed available space.","err10":"Your party size exceed allowed space per RSVP.","succ":"Thank you for submitting your rsvp","succ_n":"Sorry to hear you are not going to make it to our event.","succ_m":"Thank you for updating your rsvp","succ_c":"Great! we found your RSVP!"}}