ROME - Recently - and, many observers would say, belatedly - the Catholic Church has awoken to the reality of anti-Christian persecution around the world. The emblematic case is the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq, where Catholic organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and Aid to the Church in Need have meant the difference between life and death for a resilient Christian minority struggling to rebuild post-ISIS.
Pope Francis routinely talks about anti-Christian persecution as a fact of life in the early 21st century, invoking an “ecumenism of blood” to express the reality that oppressors don’t generally make distinctions among the types of Christianity practiced by their victims.
This activism is warranted by the threats faced by tens of millions of Christians around the world - to invoke the language of the Catholic Mass, it is “right and just.” For a Catholic witness to be effective, however, it must be consistent and apply across the board, lest it seem mere confessional self-interest.
And that, by a short route, brings us to the small town of Cuamontax Huazalingo, Mexico, population around 700 souls, located in Hidalgo State in the central part of the country just north of Mexico City.
Last Sunday, four Protestants were kicked out of town by village leaders in Cuamontax Huazalingo, apparently in retaliation for their refusal to sign an agreement barring Protestants from entering the community and also for a press conference held by their lawyer accusing the Mexican government of failing to defend religious freedom.
A home belonging to Gilberto Badillo, his adult son Uriel Badillo and their wives, all Missionary Baptists, was attacked on Sunday while they were away, with all their belongings carted off and the windows smashed in order to make the home uninhabitable. In consequence, the Badillos left town and sought refuge in a nearby city.
According to religious freedom watchdog groups, there was ample warning the family was in danger but local and regional government officials refused to intervene, instead giving interviews to media blaming the family for theirPost too long. Click here to view the full text.
