The Pope’s new Coptic secretary: Islam is a “culture of death”

This is odd and surprising. It would seem most likely that the Pope wanted a secretary from the Islamic world to show his favorable view of Islam, and is unaware of Father Yoannis Lahzi Gaido’s previous statements. He will undoubtedly soon find out, however, if he hasn’t already, and what happens then will be interesting.

From an interview that Father Gaido gave on 31 March 2008:
I have always tried to be a friend that respects the different religion of the other, without being afraid to tell the truth or to emphasize that Christianity is a call to freedom.

And when Magdi asked me about the Copts in Egypt, I did not hide the enormous difficulties under which Christians must live in places with a Muslim majority.

These difficulties are not caused by a few Islamists, but by a culture of death and violence that is based on very clear verses [of their scripture] that they quote, calling for violence and jihad, saying they should murder all who are different and killing [those who express] freedom of conscience. Just to think differently is enough to be sentenced to death.

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