Cardinal Woelki warns of existential threat to Middle East Christians

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne and President of the German Association of the Holy Land, has issued an urgent call for political and social attention regarding the plight of Christian communities in the Middle East. Following a solidarity trip to the region, Woelki warned that Christians in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon face an existential threat.

During his visit, which included meetings with Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Woelki reported significant hardships. In the West Bank, he noted complaints of aggressive actions by radical Jewish settlers that destroy livelihoods and cause confrontations. In southern Lebanon, he described Christian villages as isolated in a no-man's-land following destruction caused by the war against Hezbollah.

Woelki highlighted a growing demographic crisis, noting that many families have already emigrated. He expressed a widespread fear among locals that within ten to twenty years, there may be almost no Christians left living in the Middle East. Economic hardship and a lack of professional opportunities for educated young people were also cited as primary drivers for the exodus.