The Archbishop of Cyprus has warned of the threat of Christian extinction in the Middle East

Archbishop George of Cyprus has issued a serious warning about the looming threat of the total disappearance of Christian communities in the Middle East. According to him, ongoing conflicts and the growth of religious extremism in the region are leading to the systematic destruction of shrines, attacks on believers and massive violations of their rights, forcing thousands of people to leave their historic lands.

According to the official website of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the statement was made during the welcoming address at the 41st Congress of the All-Cypriot Union of Greek Theologians. Archbishop George emphasized that the strengthening of radical fundamentalist currents has led to the systematic destruction of Christian shrines, attacks on the property of believers and gross violations of their basic rights and religious freedoms. As a result of these events, thousands of Christians have been forced to become refugees, leaving the lands that have been their historical homeland for centuries.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus noted that the critical situation affects not only Orthodox Christians, but also Christians of other denominations, as well as other ethnic and religious minorities. All of them, he said, are in dire need of urgent international support, being on the verge of total extinction. Archbishop George also cited shocking data: while in the middle of the 20th century Christians made up to 20% of the population of countries from Egypt to Iraq, today their share has shrunk to the low single digits and continues to steadily decline.

Archbishop George expressed deep disappointment with the passive position of European countries, which, in his opinion, remain outside observers of what is happening. He concluded his speech by calling on the leaders of the world’s leading powers to use their influence for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, ensuring the protection of human rights and religious freedoms. He emphasized that only such an approach can become the basis for peaceful coexistence and stability in the region.

Recall, earlier a group of believers from Paphos (Cyprus) issued a sharp public statement in defense of His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhikos, who was removed from the Paphos Diocese last year and later banned from ministry. The authors of the statement accuse the leadership of the Church of Cyprus, in particular Archbishop George, of serious canonical and institutional violations, including unilateral actions to bypass the Holy Synod and an attempt to downgrade the ruling Metropolitan to a subordinate role. The faithful warn of the risk of long-term institutional and spiritual damage to the Church.