Recently, yet another act of severe satanic, communist and anarchist vandalism against the Cathedral of Bordeaux took place, and the prestigious French newspaper LeFigaro published a public appeal to the European Union to call on the Macron government to defend Christians, houses of worship (churches) and the country’s religious and lay people who have been suffering over the past year.
The following are some significant excerpts of the appeal that has so far gone unheeded:
“The recent news of the nuns forced to leave their neighborhood in Nantes because of insecurity, as well as the latest parliamentary report by Isabelle Florennes and Ludovic Mendes on anti-religious and anti-Christian acts in our country, remind us that hatred knows no respite. While the worrying increase in violence against religions affects all believers, Christianity remains the main target of anti-religious acts in France and Europe, according to the Ministry of the Interior and the OSCE… In the face of this resurgence of hatred, which nevertheless remains disproportionate to the crimes and persecutions committed in other parts of the world, it is no longer time for half-measures and repetitive and conventional announcements. All anti-religious acts must be fought with equal force, because they threaten not only all believers but also the founding principles of our civilization, first and foremost freedom of conscience.
To stem the tide of anti-religious violence, which has moved from the realm of legitimate criticism to that of crime, coordinated action at the European level is necessary. In implementing its strategy against racism and acts of hatred, the European Union adopted the Council Framework Decision of 28 November 2008, and, as a follow-up, created the functions of coordinators in charge of combating anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred. If such a fight is indispensable, which no one disputes, would it not be fair to extend it to the fight against what should be called anti-Christianity as well? Why, in a letter dated 11 November 2022, in response to a request from the association La France en partage, did the European Commission explicitly confirm its refusal to appoint a coordinator for the fight against anti-Christian acts? Why does it refuse to open its eyes to a reality that is certainly unpleasant, but confirmed by statistics and the daily experience of many French people? What is the justification for this double standard, which must be recognized as discrimination against the Christian community?
The European Union must not forget that the common values on which it is founded are the equal protection of individuals. Would Europe be so uncomfortable protecting the identity inherited from its history that it would refuse to deal with the rise of anti-Christian acts? What is at stake is the equal guarantee of fundamental freedoms of thought and belief in Europe. But it is also, in the culpable indifference of the public powers, the maintenance of the link with what founded European culture itself, from the monasticism of its origins to the twelve stars of its flag. And with it, the perpetuation of an essential element of our civilization. The Commission must take this step to confirm its commitment to equal freedom of conscience for all. We can no longer simply say that all believers enjoy the same European protection. For such protection to exist, it must be established. If the European authorities persist in their refusal to consider this request, it will be necessary to mobilize all political and legal channels to make it succeed.”
Yes, there is an urgent need for the European Commission to defend religious freedom for all, and not just Muslims, especially in France, where even in recent days the walls of the Sacred Heart Church, located in the center of Bordeaux, were vandalized with satanic graffiti and communist and anarchist symbols on the night of March 12-13.