Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu is concerned about growing hostility toward Christians in parts of the Islamic world and the increasingly post-Christian culture of Europe.
Nwachukwu, who serves as first secretary of the evangelization section of the Vatican’s evangelization department, told EWTN News that any serious conversation about peace and coexistence must begin with a clear condemnation of anti-Christian violence, especially from Muslim leaders in places where Christians lack full religious freedom.
The Nigerian bishop also warned of a growing cultural hatred of Christianity in the West, where Christian expression is often viewed with suspicion while society insists on protecting the religious symbols of others.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit four countries in Africa, including Muslim-majority Algeria, on April 13-23 on his first apostolic visit to the continent.
A diplomat urges Muslims to confront anti-Christian violence
Citing decades of diplomatic service in Ghana, Paraguay, Algeria and Switzerland, Nwachukwu described anti-Christian discrimination he witnessed firsthand – experiences he believes continue to be ignored.
He said, “I do not criticize Islam; I criticize the way some people practice Islam.” “People only scream about Islamophobia, but its main cause should not be sought in the West. It should be sought in the way some Muslims practice their religion. We are calling on our Muslim friends to condemn the misuse of their religion as a religion of violence.”
He recalled that during his service in Algeria, Christians were openly labeled “enemies of Islam”. In one incident, a shopkeeper refused to serve him because he was wearing a Roman collar.
“Christians still do not have complete freedom to practice their religion,” he said.
The West is increasingly uncomfortable with its Christian roots
But Nwachukwu also sharply criticized Europe, where he sees a growing reluctance to defend Christianity while Western societies emphasize religious tolerance.
He said, “Everyone condemns Islamophobia, but no one condemns Christianophobia.” “We are in post-Christian Europe and the post-Christian West.”
He said Christian symbols face discrimination that does not apply to other religions: “You enter a hall and see a symbol of Buddhism – no one touches it. You see a Muslim in a hijab – no one asks to remove it. But you see a cross, and they say, ‘Remove it.’ Why?”
He argued that it reflected cultural embarrassment about Europe’s Christian heritage:
“It’s like feeling guilty for having a mother who is ugly and then forgetting that she has rights too. The Christianity that gave them their education, culture and society – now they feel uncomfortable with it.”
Reverse missionaries and a hopeful response to Europe’s secular drift.
Nwachukwu said this situation makes the growing presence of African and Asian missionaries in Europe all the more important, as an optimistic sign that the global church can help reawaken the continent’s Christian identity.
He said, “The West often forgets that we are the result of the sacrifice of their own brothers and sisters who became missionaries.” “But the flock – the children of those missionaries – are now returning.”
Nwachukwu described the movement as a gift that could strengthen Western Christianity in places where secularism has taken deep roots.
“We want to see mother churches in Europe accepting and being proud of their missionary children from the global South.”
Encouragement for persecuted Christians
For Christians facing persecution – whether under hostile regimes, extremist movements, or secular cultural pressures – Nwachukwu offered a message of strength: “If you’re facing persecution, it means the message you have is important. If your message wasn’t important, people wouldn’t even think about you. So, the message is: Don’t feel like you’re alone. Know what you’re worth.”
