Isis beheaded 21 Coptic Christians in Libya on Feb. 15th, 2015
Plan to Help Persecuted Christians
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Cardinal Dolan’s 7 Point Plan for helping Christians stressed the extreme nature of the threat posed by Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups in the Middle East and Africa. The seven points are as follows:
1. Americans who care about persecuted Christians need a “sense of urgency.”
2. Never apologize for keeping the issue alive.
We need to give this “constant accelerated publicity. We have got to be ‘Johnny one note.’ We are talking about Christians being beheaded, martyred, threatened, and harassed throughout the world.”
3. ‘Islamic-Christophobic terrorism’ Is the problem.
“We have to call it what it is: we are talking about fanatical, Islamic-Christophobic terrorism, and we should not be afraid to tag it as such.”
4. Back moderate Muslims
“We have got to affirm genuine Islamic moderate voices, not only affirm, but rejoice when they are willing to speak up…. We got have to create a space for them, especially in the United States.”
5. Advocacy:
“We need to advocate [on behalf of persecuted Christians] with our government, but also with the governments of nations where this Christophobia is taking place.
The advocacy “is especially cogent when it comes from our lay leaders, including corporate leaders” with business interests in countires where Christians are under fire.
6. Inter-Religious Action
“We need inter-religious” action. …Jewish leaders look me in the eye…and say. ‘Why are you Christians so horse about this? Take it from us, it will not go away.. You must speak up constantly or it will only get worse.”
7. Prayer and Humanitarian Aid
“We don’t just approach this…topic..from a sociological, political, historical or cultural point of view. We can never forget the optic of faith…. Never do we underestimate the power of prayer…never, ever do we stop mentioning the suffering of Christians across the world at every Mass, never stop mentioning the words of Tertullian: ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.’”
Iraqi Christian crucified by Isis, 2015