Bishop of Romanian Church says "polite persecution" of Christians in Europe

The vicar bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Paisii Sinaiskii, has sharply criticized the current European policy towards believers, stating the existence of the phenomenon of «polite persecution» in the countries of the European Union. According to the hierarch, modern Christians in Europe face social isolation and systemic pressure, which replace open physical violence.

According to the press service of the Romanian Patriarchate, during his sermon Bishop Paisius stressed the existence of a disturbing paradox: if in developing countries for faith can be killed, in civilized Europe for the confession of Christ is paid for «civil death». The bishop noted that the pressure on Christians in the West is skillfully hidden under the mask of selective tolerance, and the main goal of these processes is the complete elimination of Christianity from public and private life.

The bishop paid special attention to the methods of influence on believers. By the term «polite persecution» he means threats of criminal prosecution, social exclusion and even deprivation of the right to work. According to the hierarch, Europe has turned tolerance into a tool of social engineering, which effectively protects sexual minorities and progressive ideologies, but at the same time justifies sacrilege against Christian shrines with the right to freedom of speech.

Bishop Paisius expressed his fear that such a policy of double standards is leading to the transformation of European democracy into a form of ideological tyranny. He believes that social coercion in Western Europe is actually producing apostates, making Christians a legitimate target for media and legal attacks. The hierarch concluded his address by urging the faithful to bear firm witness to their faith despite the increasing pressures of the modern world.