Series: Middle East

The Middle East is one of the worst hot spots in the world, not only at a geopolitical level, as a fertile ground for every sort of violence
and conflicts, but also at a religious one, due to the rising of a militant and political Islam. All over the area, the minorities suffer all kinds
of discriminations and persecutions, like the Christians, who are leaving the region at a growing speed. That’s why the Pope convoked a Synod of the Catholic Church for the Middle East, which will be held next month in the Vatican. At play is not only the future of communities that lived for centuries in the land of their ancestors but also the diverse and unique spiritual heritages.

In the XI century, the mid-Eastern churches split from the Roman Catholic Church. However, since then, a number of them have recognized the primacy of Rome. And the ecumenical work to promote a larger and deeper communion is still under way.

Journalist and author, Camille Eid is also an observer of Middle East Churches. In an interview, he explains why Christians, once a strong minority in Iran, are now going abroad, at an estimated rate of 10,000 families a year. And why, he makes a somber prediction: “In fact, there is a real risk of disappearance, of an extinction of Christianity.”