Crux

A leading Catholic lawmaker in the UK’s House of Lords is saying the Vatican’s secret deal with the Chinese government has caused the Church to remain silent on “gross violations” of religious freedom and has led to the betrayal of the underground Church in the country. Lord David Alton of Liverpool, a key signatory to a petition launched by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) calling on countries to fulfil the obligations of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which defends religious freedom, spoke with Crux Now about the ongoing ACN campaign. “In the case of the Chinese Communist regime it is making a deal with the devil – a regime which has committed genocide against Uyghur Muslims and persecutes Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and Chinese Christians,” Alton said. “Fear of upsetting the Chinese Communist Party has led the Vatican to remain silent about gross violations of religious freedom,” he said. “[T]he Vatican has betrayed the loyal, persecuted, underground Catholic Church and embraced an ‘official’ church which is merely an extension of the Communist State, replacing faith with Communist ideology,” he added. Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster issued a statement on Tuesday in support of the campaign. “We need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Christ and stand in support of all those who suffer for their beliefs, recognising religious freedom as a universal human right,” Moth said. RELATED: Archbishop of Westminster joins push for international religious freedom Crux Now also spoke with John Pontifex, Head of Press and Public Affairs at ACN (UK), who said advocacy on behalf of all those suffering from religious discrimination is a crucial component of the fight against Christian persecution. “You cannot advocate for persecuted Christians without advocating for religious freedom in general. Otherwise you are assuming that the needs of one group are more important than those of others,” Pontifex said. “To do would be an act of special pleading. Religious freedom can never be a right just for the few; it’s a right for all or it is nothing at all,” he said. A full transcript of Alton’s and Pontifex’s answers to Crux Now’s questions is below. It has often been said that religious freedom is a “canary in the coal mine” human right, meaning that violations of this right signal violations of others. Could you expand on this? Lord Alton: When the principle of freedom of religion or belief is violated it is often an indicator that other human rights are at risk too. In that sense it is a canary in the mine – the bird which warned the miners that toxic lethal chemicals were beginning to leak into their working environment. Ignore the warnings and the consequences are catastrophic. John Pontifex: History has shown that again and again freedom of thought, conscience and religion is so often, if not invariably, the first casualty as a country slides from freedom to oppression. Freedom of religious expression is often an easy target for attack either by the state or non-state actors so forces of oppression often target it first in their attempt to suppress people. In so many of the countries I have visited, where persecution is rife, both community leaders and people on the ground have pointed out this phenomenon. Where are the most grievous violations of religious freedom taking place today? Lord Alton: Religious freedom is violated in many parts of the world. I would put China, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria and Nicaragua very high on the list. John Pontifex: As made clear in Aid to the Church in Need’s latest Religious Freedom in the World Report and successive editions of Persecuted and Forgotten?, North Korea tops the list of countries where people suffer most in relation to freedom of religion or belief. There, owning a Bible, having contact with religious missionaries and attending a religious service can result in torture or forced labour. Other countries are not far behind: Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, religious minorities have suffered increasing violence and systemic oppression including frequent attacks on places of worship. All the evidence shows the attacks and oppression are getting worse. One of the greatest concerns is that it is some of the world’s leading nations where we see most serious violations of religious freedom, which by all accounts are getting worse. I am thinking here of China where national and regional legislation has resulted in the exclusion of young people and children from most forms of public and community religious life. And then there’s India, where religiously motivated and legal restrictions have surged, becoming significantly worse in recent years. ACN’s petition calls on the UN and international governments to take more action to safeguard Article 18. What concrete action would you like to see? Lord Alton: Article 18 of the 1948 UDHR guarantees the right to believe, not to believe or to change belief. Flagrant breaches by signatories to the UDHR should be called out and examples of violations regularly placed before the United Nations Human Rights Council. Cases should also be raised in bilateral meetings between the UK and offending nations. Too often we stay silent and turn a blind eye. John Pontifex: It is high time we saw a renewed commitment to the full expression of freedom of religion or belief, as articulated in Article 18, by countries all over the world. This means a renewed commitment to stamp out non-state actors responsible for violations of religious freedom, changes in legislation that put an end to restrictions on religious life and practice, and renewed action to ensure that a commitment to religious freedom is embedded in all state institutions, educational establishments, in business, the media and culture. Could you explain the significance of ACN’s petition? What are your hopes for the initiative? John Pontifex: This is the first time Aid to the Church in Need has launched a global advocacy campaign. ACN staff, project partners and supporters from Iraq to Nigeria to Germany, to Mexico as well as here in the UK are behind this. We want to create a powerful universal call to uphold not only the rights of Christians but people of all faiths, and none. The petition has had huge take-up, quickly garnering more than 14,000 signatures. We have had support from Church leaders from right across the different traditions – from Catholic to Church of England to Coptic Orthodox as well as Ukrainian Greek Catholic. Not only have we had support from Christians en masse but also from other faiths, with the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, one of the most persecuted faith groups in Pakistan, giving strong support to the initiative. My hope is that, working together, through this petition we can enable the voice of people persecuted for their faith or belief to be heard at the highest of levels – the United Nations. We want governments around the world to do whatever they can to help make religious freedom not just a form of words but a reality on the ground not just for the privileged few but for each and everyone. ACN supports persecuted Christians and those of other faiths who are discriminated against because of their beliefs. What is the interplay between these two issues? How closely related are they? John Pontifex: You cannot advocate for persecuted Christians without advocating for religious freedom in general. Otherwise you are assuming that the needs of one group are more important than those of others. To do would be an act of special pleading. Religious freedom can never be a right just for the few; it’s a right for all or it is nothing at all. Lord Alton, in the past you have been critical of the Vatican’s secret agreement with the Chinese government, a regime that has come under heavy criticism for violations of religious freedom. Why do you think it is a bad idea? Lord Alton: Secret deals with totalitarian Communist dictatorships are rarely likely to be a good idea. In the case of the Chinese Communist regime it is making a deal with the devil – a regime which has committed genocide against Uyghur Muslims and persecutes Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and Chinese Christians. Fear of upsetting the Chinese Communist Party has led the Vatican to remain silent about gross violations of religious freedom. The principles enunciated in the 1965 Dignitatis Humanae have been ignored, while the treatment of the heroic Cardinal Joseph Zen and the Catholic prisoner of conscience, Jimmy Lai, left dying in a Hong Kong prison, is nothing short of scandalous. Contrast the concordat made between the Vatican and Hitler’s Third Reich with the prophetic, wise and brave response of St. John Paul II to Soviet Communist dictatorship, and you can see which road we should have taken in China. Instead of which, the Vatican has betrayed the loyal, persecuted, underground Catholic Church and embraced an “official” church which is merely an extension of the Communist state, replacing faith with Communist ideology. Are you satisfied with the UK government’s work in this area? Lord Alton: The UK has appointed the admirable David Smith MP as its Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. That’s a good start but too often ministers and ambassadors do very little to promote religious freedom. Many of the recommendations in the special report written for the Foreign Office by the former Bishop of Truro remain partially implemented or unimplemented. That is a disgrace. Pope Francis spoke about the “polite persecution” that takes place against believers in Western countries. How serious a problem is this? Lord Alton: There has certainly been an upsurge of intolerance – especially when Catholics speak and act against the destruction of innocent life. Some people have lost their jobs or prospects of advancement. Others have remained silent through fear of ostracism or discrimination. It’s unpleasant but it’s wrong to suggest that it is persecution comparable to the outright persecution faced by Christians in countries like North Korea, China, Nigeria, Nicaragua or Eritrea. It’s of an entirely different order. John Pontifex: This a serious problem in the sense that there is a culture in which, as Pope Francis pointed out, those with “unwelcome” religious views are at risk of losing their job, being fined or to suffer social exclusion. Often the victim will never be told – explicitly – that it is their faith that is the problem. We have seen a spate of Christian and other merchants, charities, universities, schools shut down or threatened with a loss of accreditation for religiously-inspired positions on sexual ethics. What can Catholics do to support people suffering from religious discrimination? John Pontifex: I remember visiting a young man who was in hiding in Pakistan. A mob wanted him dead and he was in fear of his life. He told me that the one thing he wanted most was for me to pray for him. The need to pray for people who suffer for their faith is paramount. So many people oppressed for their faith do so in silence without the world outside knowing anything about it. Prayer can and will make a difference. The second thing is to share the story: Tell our friends, our families, our networks, be it at school, in our parish or elsewhere; we need to speak up for people who are persecuted, knowing that religious freedom is so often an orphaned right. Nothing can change unless there is a groundswell of understanding about the severity of the topic. Finally, we need to act: To advocate, to offer practical assistance. Anything we can do – however small – is a lot better than doing nothing. To view and sign ACN’s petition for religious freedom click here.

Vatican’s agreement with China is a “deal with the devil”, Catholic Lord tells Crux Now

Premium article: Vatican’s agreement with China is a “deal with the devil”, Catholic Lord tells Crux Now

Archbishop of Westminster joins push for international religious freedom

Premium article: Indonesian archbishop gives first-hand account of quake as Caritas, faithful respond to emergency

Pope appeals for persecuted Palestinian Christians as violence continues

Premium article: Indonesian archbishop gives first-hand account of quake as Caritas, faithful respond to emergency

Pope appeals for persecuted Palestinian Christians as violence continues

Nero’s Bridge emerges from Tiber River as Rome faces water crisis

Rescuers dig through rubble and landslides after quake in Christian area of Indonesia kills 51

Nero’s Bridge emerges from Tiber River as Rome faces water crisis

Pope appeals for persecuted Palestinian Christians as violence continues

There’s a reason why Israel has done little to rein in settler violence. It’s not just Netanyahu

Premium article: Surrogate mother’s flight to Texas for birth praised by pro-life leaders

Crux. Anytime. Anywhere.

Premium article: Vatican’s agreement with China is a “deal with the devil”, Catholic Lord tells Crux Now

Archbishop of Westminster joins push for international religious freedom

Premium article: Indonesian archbishop gives first-hand account of quake as Caritas, faithful respond to emergency

Pope appeals for persecuted Palestinian Christians as violence continues

Nero’s Bridge emerges from Tiber River as Rome faces water crisis

Pope appeals for persecuted Palestinian Christians as violence continues

There’s a reason why Israel has done little to rein in settler violence. It’s not just Netanyahu

Premium article: Surrogate mother’s flight to Texas for birth praised by pro-life leaders

Premium article: Indonesian archbishop gives first-hand account of quake as Caritas, faithful respond to emergency

Pope appeals for persecuted Palestinian Christians as violence continues

Nero’s Bridge emerges from Tiber River as Rome faces water crisis

Rescuers dig through rubble and landslides after quake in Christian area of Indonesia kills 51