The Hungary Helps Program has also earned the recognition of the persecuted Christian community in the Middle East and Africa, the State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office responsible for helping persecuted Christians and implementing the Hungary Helps Program announced on Saturday. An international working group was formed to adapt the Hungarian model.
Tristan Azbej said that at the weekend meeting in Rome on the possibilities of Christian politicization, he also participated in a papal audience on Friday Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Ignác Efrem, who was also present, joined his conversation with the Holy Father The Christian leader from the Middle East praised the Pope for his support of Christians persecuted by the Hungarian government. Hungarian help contributed greatly to the fact that Christians persecuted by the Islamic State and other jihadists in Syria and Iraq could remain or return from being refugees, Tristan Azbej added.
At the weekend's political meeting, together with Ignác Efrem, many persecuted Christian leaders - in addition to the Middle East, for example from Kenya in Africa - reported that the Hungarian government was the first to step in to help the persecuted Christians in the Middle East, who were completely left on their own. "In addition, they helped not only refugee families, but also rebuilt entire institutions and settlements," he said. According to the patriarch's report, the number of Christians in Syria has decreased by less than half and in Iraq by a tenth in the past decade.
Tristan Azbej called the persecution of Christians the biggest and most silent international human rights crisis of our time , which affects more than 340 million Christian believers in the world. According to the state secretary, the meeting also discussed the following: Poland and Croatia are also following the Hungarian example and have recently launched programs to support persecuted Christians in the Middle East. Croatia, for example, announced a university scholarship program for young Christians living in conflict zones.
Christian politicians from all over the world participating in the forum believed that more programs like the Hungarian one are needed, and then Christianity can remain in the "cradle of Christianity". That's why they decided to launch an international working group to adapt the Hungarian model and provide direct humanitarian assistance to persecuted Christians.
The working group, led by Azbej Tristan, started its work already on Saturday.
Source: Origo.
(Header image: Facebook/Hungary Helps – Hungary helps)
