Tehran: The Archbishop Ramsay Garmah, chairman of the National Bishops’ Council, says that the Catholic Church in Iran is like a fruitless tree. In an interview with representatives of the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), he said that martyrdom for the Christian faith is the true strength of the church.
Christians in the country have faced many crises since the beginning of the Iranian Revolution. Schools, hospitals and institutions associated with the Catholic Church were shut down following the revolution. With this the number of Christians in the country began to decline. Eventually, Christians were removed from the heads of cultural institutions. This is the case with the Chaldean Catholic Church, which today has a population of only 4,000. But as long as one believes in the Word of God, persecution is part of the proclamation of the Word. Said the Archbishop.
The strength and dynamics of the Christian community depend not on its number, but on whether the members of the Church can be witnesses of the faith. Islam’s brothers in Iran are reaching out to Christians in the country who want to know God’s Word. He added that this is proof that the Christian life of faith produces results. The Archbishop said he would like to congratulate the ACN for providing solidarity and support to the affected Christians.
It has already been clear that there is a huge increase in the number of converts who have converted to Christianity in Iran, which has radical Islamic laws. Iran’s intelligence minister, Mahmoud Alawi, openly declared, in his speech to Shia Muslim clerics, that the Christian faith is growing in many parts of the country. Mahmoud Alavi has already revealed that there is no other option but to ask why they are converting, and that many people are saying that they want a religion that will bring them peace.
