EWTN News portal reports on the dire situation of Christians in the Middle East, citing statements by “Bishop” Iyad Twal of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The article highlights the decline of Christian communities due to war, economic instability, and emigration, while praising the “unity” between Catholics and Orthodox and the humanitarian efforts of the post-conciliar structures. The cited article relates the desperate plea of a dwindling flock, yet the response offered by the conciliar hierarchy is nothing but a naturalistic humanitarianism devoid of supernatural faith, a diplomatic charade that substitutes the call to conversion and the defense of Christ the King with interreligious dialogue and political neutrality.
The Naturalistic Diagnosis: Omission of Spiritual Warfare
The analysis presented by “Bishop” Twal focuses exclusively on material and political factors: war, economic instability, and emigration. While these are undeniable temporal afflictions, the diagnosis is fundamentally naturalistic, ignoring the primary cause of the Christian collapse in the Middle East: the abandonment of integral Catholic doctrine and the rise of indifferentism.
The conciliar sect, having embraced the errors of *Dignitatis Humanae* on religious freedom and *Nostra Aetate* on non-Christian religions, has effectively disarmed the faithful spiritually. By teaching that the Catholic Church is not the only path to salvation and by engaging in false ecumenism with schismatics and infidels, the post-conciliar authorities have removed the supernatural reason for the Church’s existence. As Pope Pius XI warned in *Quas Primas*, the removal of Christ the King from public and private life leads to the destruction of society. The decline of Christianity in the Middle East is not merely a geopolitical tragedy; it is the direct fruit of a Church that has ceased to preach the necessity of the Catholic Faith for salvation and the duty of societies to submit to the Social Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
False Ecumenism: Unity with Schismatics as a “Sign”
The article praises the joint visit of “Cardinal” Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III to Gaza as a “powerful sign of Christian unity.” From the perspective of integral Catholic faith, this is not a sign of unity, but a manifestation of the apostasy condemned by the pre-conciliar Magisterium.
The Greek Orthodox are schismatics and heretics who reject the Primacy of the Supreme Pontiff and dogmas defined after the Great Schism. True unity can only exist in the unity of the one true Church, outside of which there is no salvation. As Pope Pius XI stated in *Mortalium Animos*, “the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it.” By presenting cooperation with schismatics as a virtue, the conciliar hierarchy legitimizes the very divisions that weaken the Christian witness. This false ecumenism is a direct violation of the First Commandment, as it implies that the truth of the Catholic Faith is equal to the errors of the Orthodox, leading the faithful into religious indifferentism.
The Usurper on the Throne: “Pope” Leo XIV
The article notes that “Bishop” Twal praised “Pope” Leo XIV for his calls for prayer and solidarity. This reference to the current usurper in the Vatican is a stark reminder of the illegitimacy of the conciliar occupation.
According to the principles of Catholic theology, a manifest heretic cannot be the Supreme Pontiff. The line of usurpers beginning with John XXIII, and continuing through the current Robert Prevost (Leo XIV), has consistently promulgated heresies and errors contrary to the immutable Magisterium. As St. Robert Bellarmine teaches, a Pope who is a manifest heretic ceases to be Pope and head *ipso facto*. The calls for “solidarity” from an antipope are spiritually useless for salvation, as they do not come from the True Pastor. The faithful are bound to reject the authority of these modernist figures and adhere to the integral Catholic Faith, which these usurpers have betrayed.
Humanitarianism Substituting for the Supernatural Mission
The response of the conciliar Church to the crisis is reduced to humanitarian aid: “Through our schools, our parishes, our hospitals, the services we offer to everyone, Christians and Muslims, we are building peace.”
While charity is a duty, the conciliar sect has reduced the supernatural mission of the Church—the salvation of souls through the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments—to mere social work. This is the “cult of man” condemned by Pope Pius IX in the *Syllabus of Errors*. The Church does not exist to “build peace” in a naturalistic sense, but to lead souls to eternal life through Jesus Christ. By serving “Christians and Muslims” indiscriminately without the explicit call to conversion to the Catholic Faith, the post-conciliar structures become agents of the very apostasy that is destroying the Christian East. The true peace of Christ cannot be established where the truth of His Kingship is denied or ignored.
The Call to Pilgrimage: A Substitute for Spiritual Combat
Finally, “Bishop” Twal encourages Christians worldwide to visit the Holy Land as a “sign of solidarity.” While the veneration of holy sites is praiseworthy, the conciliar presentation of pilgrimage often degenerates into religious tourism devoid of the call to penance and conversion.
In an era of systemic apostasy, the primary duty of the faithful is not merely to visit the land where Christ walked, but to defend His truth and uphold the rights of His Kingdom. The exodus of Christians from the Middle East will not be stopped by humanitarian aid or ecumenical handshakes with schismatics. It will only be reversed when the Church returns to her true mission: preaching the Gospel to every creature, converting infidels and heretics, and restoring the Social Reign of Christ the King over all nations. Until then, the conciliar hierarchy will continue to preside over the ruins of Christendom, offering naturalistic solutions to supernatural problems.
Source:
Christian communities in Middle East face mounting pressure, bishop says (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 26.06.2026