Video on Islam's growth sparks debate at Synod
October 15, 2012
A controversy arose at the Synod of Bishops on October 13 when the participating bishops were shown a video that Vatican Radio described as a “fear-mongering presentation of statistics attempting to show how Islam is conquering Europe and the rest of the world.”
The video--which was apparently screened by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace--emphasized the high birth rates among Muslims in Europe, in contrast with the falling fertility of native Europeans, and concluded that the continent would soon be predominantly Islamic.
“Why one of the Curial cardinal chose to show this piece of anti-Islamic propaganda is quite unclear,” Vatican Radio reported. But the dramatic presentation did give rise to some energetic discussions, with some bishops criticizing the video while others chose to emphasize the need for more effective evangelization among the people of Europe.
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Further information:
- Inside the Synod: Europe and Islam (Vatican Radio)
- Cardinal causes uproar with "Muslim scare" video at Vatican (Reuters)
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Posted by: jacquebquique5708 -
Oct. 16, 2012 6:28 PM ET USA
As a Navy veteran, I too am very concerned with the response of many bishops to the movie on Islam.
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Posted by: fenton1015153 -
Oct. 16, 2012 11:02 AM ET USA
I am not sure how the video came to an anti-Islamic propaganda film. Birth rates are high amoung Muslims and low among Christians of all walks of life. So eventually there will be many more Muslims than Christians. And yes Evangelization is needed. But Catholics need to stop using the pill or other means of birth control and they need to then pass down the faith to their children and Christianity will not disappear.
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Oct. 15, 2012 9:03 PM ET USA
Vatican Radio is literally fiddling while Rome burns. They obviously have not been paying attention to what has been happening in the past half-century.
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Posted by: stpetric -
Oct. 15, 2012 8:22 PM ET USA
It's hard to see how this is "anti-Islamic". The demographic trends are there for all to see. The question is why Vatican Radio felt free to criticize a cardinal!
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Posted by: rpp -
Oct. 15, 2012 6:00 PM ET USA
None so blind as those who refuse to see.
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Posted by: joancollins507161 -
Oct. 15, 2012 5:32 PM ET USA
I get the idea that Vatican radio, and Vatican news media in general, is very leftist and unrealistically idealistic. The Church had better wake up to the growth of Islam in Europe, and throughout the rest of the world for that matter. Wishing something weren't true doesn't make it so.
