Hungary seeks to become hub for groups supporting persecuted Christians

The Hungarian government has stated that it wants the country to become a "hub and supporter" of groups that support Christians who are being persecuted for their faith.

The announcement was made during an international conference in Hungary's capital of Budapest, where leading advocacy groups gathered to discuss the persecution of Christians across the world.

"More Christians are being persecuted today throughout the world than during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero," said Bence Rétvári, state secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources, according to BosNewsLife.

According to advocacy group Open Doors, about 100 million Christians around the world experience persecution, and many believers have been killed, detained, discriminated against or abused.

Hungary was the first country in the world to set up a government office that aims to support persecuted Christians in the Middle East and other troubled regions, Vatican Radio reported.

"When I travelled through Iraq I also met with numerous church leaders. Everybody asks that we don't help the Iraqis and the persecuted get into Europe. Instead we should help locals start up their lives again," said Rétvári, whose ministry supervises the office.

However, some advocacy groups have criticized the approach and said that Hungary should also take in Christian refugees, including former Muslims, who may be detained or killed if they return to their home countries.

Although the new government department would be focused on providing aid to Christians in their home countries, there are ongoing talks about Hungary accepting Christian refugees.

Hungary was among the first European Union countries to erect razor wire fences with the aim of stopping the influx of migrants who are fleeing war and poverty.

Ignatius Ephrem Joseph III Younan, the leader of Syria's Catholic Church, urged Hungary to pressure the European Union and the United Nations to end the war in his home country.

"I still hope that the Western countries, that means the Western politicians, would accept to stop financing and arming so-called because there would be otherwise no end to the sectarian war," he said.

The government urged international advocacy groups to develop an action plan to support Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. Christians in Hungary also faced persecution for decades until the collapse of Communism in 1989.