When it comes to condemning the slaughter and genocide of Christians by Islamic terrorists, most American and Muslim religious leaders in the United States — and the President — have one thing in common: "hear and see no evil."
That’s why Pope Francis, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, deserves accolades and cheers. Why? Because he has continually spoken out and condemned the slaughter and genocide against his Christian brethren by radical Islamic terrorists.
In Good Friday services, he said in prayer: "We see in you (Jesus) our persecuted brothers, beheaded and crucified because of their faith in you, before our eyes . . . often with our complicit silence . . . "
He continued in his Easter Sunday address praying for an end to the persecution of Christians commemorating the students massacred by Islamist militants in Kenya:
"We ask Jesus, the victor over death, to lighten the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for his name and of all those who suffer injustice as a result of ongoing conflicts and violence, and there are many . . . "
And, on Easter Monday, speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square, he urged:
"concrete participation and tangible help in defense and protection of our brothers and our sisters, who are persecuted, exiled, slain, beheaded, solely for being Christian."
This was not the first time that the Pope has condemned the killing of Christians. Last month, he denounced the murder of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIL militants in Libya saying that they were killed:
“simply for the fact that they were Christians. It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same.” It could not be said any more forcefully.
Over a week has passed since the Pope’s condemnations. What is truly amazing is that while the Pope was condemning the killing of Christians, the supposed leader of the free world, the President of the United States, just could not bring himself to even mention the word “Christian” in his comments about the 147 Christians killed in Kenya and those slaughtered elsewhere around the world including the beheading of the Coptic Christians in Libya.
Instead of acknowledging that Christians are being targeted as did the Pope, Obama preferred to criticize their religion for the “terrible deeds” of the past or for “less-than loving expressions by Christians” as he did at the National Prayer Breakfast in February and the recent Easter Prayer Breakfast — of all places on such a sacred occasion!
In reality, Obama is guilty of the “complicit silence” that the Pope referred to.
But it is not only Obama who is silent. He is joined in the lack of condemnation by most Christian — and Muslim — leaders.
Obama and the leaders of the Christian Church in America — with the exception of Cardinal Wuerl, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. — are sending a horrible message to their fellow Christians around the world, who would be justified in asking:
“Why do we stand alone? Where are our fellow Christians? “Why have you forsaken us?”
Good questions.
Where is the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Episcopal Church? Where are the Anglican Bishops in the United States? Where are the Roman Catholic Bishops? The same applies to the leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Church of God in Christ, Assemblies of God, and the Presbyterian Church to name a few.
Of special interest is the silence of the leaders of black American Churches such as the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and National Baptist Convention, USA who seem to be turning a blind eye to the plight of their black Christian brethren in Africa and the Middle East?
Unless I missed it, I have yet to hear any individual or collective condemnation from any of them — or American Muslim leaders. Why the silence?
Instead of taking a cue from Pope Francis, it appears that most American Christian leaders — black and white — are following the Obama theme of “silence is golden” when it comes to Christian slaughter. Like Obama, they are “leading from behind.”
That sends a disturbing message to Christians around the world.
Unlike those “Christian soldiers marching as to war . . .” in the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers”, these church leaders are running the other way — not towards victory but hanging their heads in silence and shame.
Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns and has appeared on many national and local media outlets. Read more reports from Clarence V. McKee — Click Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.