Cardinal Schönborn tells US: support democracy in Arab world by protecting Christians
June 28, 2012
Speaking at a Washington conference on religious freedom, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna challenged Americans to protect the Christians living in Islamic countries.
“The Christians and other minorities in the Near East know their only chance of survival is the secular state with real religious freedom,” the Austrian cardinal said. Observing that Americans had shown support for the “Arab Spring” uprisings in the region that have increased the dangers to the religious minority, he said that the best way to promote democracy would be to ensure that Christians have “the space of freedom.”
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Posted by: Leferink557202 -
Jun. 29, 2012 9:04 PM ET USA
Frankly, His Eminence needs to get his own archdiocese in order, especially his priests who are promoting disobedience.
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Posted by: dover beachcomber -
Jun. 29, 2012 2:31 AM ET USA
The Catholic hope for each nation-state must not be democracy, but complete and genuine liberty. What the political system may be that achieves this liberty in each country is far less important than the liberty that is government's only justification. The ancients understood the dangers that democracy posed to liberty, and our Founding Fathers knew their ancient history. That's why they gave us, not a democracy, but a representative republic.
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Posted by: unum -
Jun. 28, 2012 6:33 PM ET USA
The Cardinal needs to address his remarks to the President, not the American people. The American people are under no illusions about the future of Christians living in the "Arab Spring" countries.
