The Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Expatriates, H.E. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, also met with Slovak church
representatives during her three-day visit to Slovakia. At her meeting with
representatives of the Conference of Bishops of Slovakia, the Apostolic
Nunciature, charity workers and the National Director of the papal foundation
ACN Aid to the Church in Need, they jointly discussed the current situation of
Christians in Palestine.
Their presence in the cradle of
Christianity has been in decline since the creation of Israel due to
displacement, occupation and the ongoing fighting and attacks by Israel, even
during times of official ceasefire. “The situation of Christians is extremely
serious. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are emerging from two years of
devastation in every sense we can imagine. There are very few of them left in
Palestine, especially since 1948, when 75% were displaced. Today the political
situation is very bad, and this affects the economy, which also affects
society. Today there are about 50,000 of us, which is less than one percent,”
Minister Shahin told TV Lux.
Minister Shahin also informed the Council
of Church Leaders about the serious violations committed by the occupation
against holy sites and religious places in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, and in the Gaza Strip. Both sides also discussed opportunities for
cooperation in the relevant areas and the role of church institutions in
strengthening the values of human solidarity. The Slovak Catholic Charity and
the humanitarian organization Caritas presented the humanitarian projects they
are implementing in the Palestinian territories, followed by a visit to St
Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava.