It is important for Hungarians to commit to solidarity, we do not work for our own ends, we stand up for our Christian brothers who are persecuted and in a vulnerable situation in the world - emphasized the Secretary of State responsible for programs to help persecuted Christians of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (KKM) on Wednesday in Budapest, on the International Day of Solidarity for Persecuted Christians (Red Wednesday ) at a conference organized by

Hungary's international assistance program, the Hungary Helps Program, provides assistance to those suffering in the world, to people who are left to fend for themselves, and primarily tries to protect the lives of persecuted Christians, while helping to preserve their community, emphasized State Secretary Tristan Azbej.

Today, every seventh Christian faces some form of persecution in the world, 360 million Christians are in a situation where they are exposed to more or less persecution, exclusion or discrimination because of their faith - the state secretary pointed out, adding: the Hungarian mission is at the center of calling on the Hungarian and international public attention.

According to the State Secretary of the KKM, despite the fact that 15 Christians are killed every day because of their faith, international forums, legal protection councils and large international aid organizations do not deal with this.

The Hungarian program already provides assistance to persecuted Christian communities through loan initiatives in more than 50 countries.

Tristan Azbej said that on the Nineveh Plateau devastated by the Islamic State, they contribute to the preservation of two thousand years of Christianity by drilling wells, while in Syria they provide a micro-financing program to the Christian community that has suffered a lot. They support the education of the children of Christian bricklaying workers in a difficult situation in Pakistan, and in Congo, a program started to finance one of the Roman Catholic dioceses. In Niger, through the local Roman Catholic diocese, the education of internally displaced children is provided, but they also provide help to protect the churches of several disadvantaged Christian congregations, the state secretary pointed out.

Through Hungary Helps, Hungary contributes to one of UNESCO's priority goals, ensuring the international protection of cultural heritage, stated the State Secretary, who said that the cultural values ​​restored in certain crisis zones through the projects strengthened the stability and development of communities. He cited the ongoing restoration of the medieval castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria as an example.

Tristan Azbej said that Wilfred C. Anagbe, the bishop of the Makurdi Diocese, had come to the conference from Nigeria, and before the conference he spoke with Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén about the crisis raging in the African country, due to which the Hungarian government offered two million forints in immediate support to the country's internally displaced persons supply.

Tristan Azbej also talked about how the Buda Castle District and the Castle Garden Bazaar will join the international day of solidarity for persecuted Christians, Red Wednesday, by lighting up some of its buildings in red, and the Sándor Palace in the castle will also be lit up for the occasion.

The international conference "Peacebuilding - Cultural Heritage Protection - Christian Communities" organized by KKM discussed the protection of cultural heritage, the situation of Christian communities and the importance and relevance of peacebuilding.

Among the invited international speakers were, in addition to Wilfred C. Anagbe, Lina Kutiefan, Director of World Heritage Sites of the Syrian Directorate General of Museums and Archeology (DGAM), Houman Saad, DGAM Deputy Director General and Director of Excavations, Franciscan monk Firas Lutfi, Minister of the Saint Paul Region, Samuel Payara, a Pakistani minority rights defender, and Marcela Szymanski, the Brussels representative of the international Catholic organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

MTI

Cover image: The Várkert Bazaar illuminated with red light on the International Day of Solidarity for Persecuted Christians (Red Wednesday) in Budapest, November 22, 2023.
This year, our country was associated with the event by lighting up the emblematic locations of the Budavári Palace Quarter in red. Source: MTI/Róbert Hegedüs