(Vienna) On the 4th of November 2012 Msgr. Mag. Franz Schlegl preached for persecuted Christians. Msgr. Schlegl is a priest of the Roman Rite and an Archpriest of the Byzantine Rite (Ukrainian Communion) of the Archdiocese of Vienna.
At the outset Dr. Elmar Kuhn, the General Secretary of Christian Solidarity International Austria spoke of a "dramatic scale of Christian persecution". Kuhn reported the current case of a Pakistani Christian who had been given a prison sentence for "ridicule" involving "blasphemy against the Prophet". Although he had completed his sentence, the Muslim prison director refused to let him free, because he had continued to hold fast to his belief in Christ.
Msgr. Schlegl spoke in his sermon about the Christian persecution, of which the media does not report. "Whichever picture of human rights, whichever picture of democracy our responsible journalists of our media", when there are attacks and violence to Christians "are hardly talked about in the media". Every five to ten minutes somewhere in the world a Christian is killed because of his faith. In 50 nations of the world there are more than 100 million Christians persecuted for their faith, mishandled, discriminated, and threatened with death. Nine of ten of those persecuted for their beliefs are Christians. But that does not merit a line of the news value and also in the newspapers not a line." With the exception of North Korea, he People's Republic of China and some of the other communistically inclined states, "the persecution of Christians takes place primarily in Islamic countries. The 'Arab Spring' has become a Christian crucifixion." Christians are valued in states like Somalia and Nigeria "as vermin, that must be destroyed, as trash that must be taken out".
Msgr Schlegl explained that Muslims, who have converted to the Catholic Faith, in agreement with Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn do not have to participate in the catechumen celebration, "very simply, because it is dangerous. Then their preparation for baptism and the baptism inclusively held in secret so that they don't have to fear for their lives."
"That is happening to us today that Christians, in following the Lord are ready to die as martyrs. That is the biggest difference. The Muslims also say, their fighters are martyrs. As a Christian I am prepared to die for my Christian faith, but I am never prepared to murder for my Faith. And those who call themselves martyrs, because they set off an automobile in the air and rip 100 or 50 people to death: what does that have to do with martyrdom. That is naked violence."
Link to katholisches...
Sorry, his sermon is only in German.
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