Cyprus

The existence of Christianity in the Middle East is at stake. This was the warning of Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos at a press conference in Cyprus on Monday. There is grave concern that increased persecution of Christians will eventually drive the church from its ancient homeland. In Egypt, for example, several churches have been burned to the ground and more than 80 Christians have been killed since the country’s uprising in early 2011. The Archbishop also expressed concerns over rising extremism in Syria if the regime is overthrown. “Certainly Christianity is in danger, especially in Syria,” he said. Since the so-called ‘Arab Spring’, thousands of Christians have fled their countries in hopes of immigrating to the West. The future of Christianity’s ancient heritage in the region remains uncertain.