On Thursday, Tristan Azbej, head of the State Secretariat of the Prime Minister's Office responsible for helping persecuted Christians, handed over a chapel renovated with the support of the Hungarian Government's Hungary Helps Program on the Greek island of Lesbos.
The state secretary told MTI by phone that last year the Hungarian government learned from the Greek minority self-government in Hungary that illegal migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos had desecrated, damaged and set fire to several churches. Three of them suffered particularly severe damage.
The Hungary Helps Program directly provided the Greek Orthodox Church with HUF 10 million in symbolic support and effective assistance for the renovation of the local St. Catherine's chapel. The local faithful also contributed to the cost of the renovation with their donations.
In addition to the secretary of state and representatives of the Greek minority self-government in Hungary, Metropolitan Jakovosz from the local church leadership, the mayor of the city of Moria, and regional superiors participated in the rededication of St. Catherine's chapel on Thursday.
Tristan Azbej , State Secretary responsible for helping persecuted Christians and implementing the Hungary Helps Program.
Greece, island of Lesvos. Photo: Tristan Azbej's Facebook page
Speaking to MTI, the state secretary recalled: in their official meetings, the leaders of the city and the surrounding region told what kind of destruction and damage illegal migration has caused to the community living here in the last 5-6 years. "Attacks on churches and chapels are only the tip of the iceberg," Azbej Tristan said, adding that crime and disorder also made life miserable for the people here. There is a local woman who was robbed in her own house by knife-wielding attackers, and in general they ruined the livelihood of the people living here - the state secretary cited specific examples.
The inhabitants of the island mainly lived from tourism and the production of olive oil from olive plantations. The locals told the state secretary that the tourists were chased away by the presence of illegal migrants, and the migrants themselves cut down the olive trees and used them as firewood, and the migrant community began an aggressive Islamist expansion.
The local migrant groups introduced Sharia-based legislation among themselves and damaged Christian churches and chapels, the locals informed Azbej Tristan. They also said that the leaders of the Greek island feel that Europe has left them alone and did not take their interests into account: they did not help stop illegal migration, and they only showed solidarity towards illegal immigrants.
The head of the State Secretariat of the Prime Minister's Office highlighted that the local people were extremely grateful for the Hungarian government's help, with which they renovated their holy places. The local leaders also emphasized that it was not only the renovation of the churches that was important to them and the local Christian people, but also that someone had finally addressed them directly.
Tristan Azbej told MTI: it is typical of the political situation here that while the members and leaders of the local communities thanked the Hungarian government and were very happy about the State Secretary's visit, the largest Greek left-wing party, Syriza, echoed the tone of the European and Hungarian left. and echoed his messages.
Tristan Azbej added, "They issued a statement full of insults, with a hostile tone, in connection with the State Secretary's visit, and attacked the local church leaders, including Metropolitan Jakovosz, who received the Hungarian delegation."
At the end of its visit, the state secretary's delegation visited the site of the migrant camp in Moria, which was set on fire by illegal migrants earlier, and the current asylum camp for legal and illegal immigrants.
Source: vasarnap.hu/MTI
Featured photo: (MTI)
