By Nick Hallett, European Conservative. (Photo: Unsplash)
A Catholic bishop in northern Italy has called on Christians to actively evangelise Muslims living in Europe, warning that believers must not “hide” their faith in the face of rising migration and secularisation.
In a pastoral letter issued on the feast of Pentecost, Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-San Remo argued that welcoming Muslim migrants should go hand-in-hand with openly proclaiming Christianity, insisting that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.
The letter, titled There Is No Greater Love Than This, was issued ahead of a new diocesan initiative aimed specifically at outreach to Muslims living in the region near the French border, an area heavily affected by immigration in recent years.
Drawing inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi’s famous meeting with the Sultan during the Crusades, Suetta said Christians should approach Muslims with “charity” and “respect,” but without abandoning missionary zeal or diluting Catholic teaching.
The bishop repeatedly stressed that Christians have a duty to convert non-Christians, including Muslims now living in Europe. While acknowledging that Muslims worship “one God” and share some moral values with Christians, he argued that Islam and Christianity ultimately present radically different understandings of God.