"...the Catholic Church of Austria has received no fewer than 300 applications for Baptism of adults for the first quarter of 2016, of which about 70% are refugees."
Muslim Refugees in Europe increasingly converting to Christianity - Media
Translated by Dmitry Lapa, Pravoslavie, June 6, 2016
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| Muslim family converts to Christ in Berlin. |
The number of Muslim refugees in Europe who are converting to the Christian faith is increasing, as indicated by the large number of Baptisms recently held by European churches, reports RIA-Novosti with reference to the Guardian.
According to unofficial information, many Muslims who migrated from the Middle East states or central Asia because of conflicts, repressions or economical difficulties have started attending churches.
According to the newspaper, the motives behind such changes may be sincere faith in the new religion or gratitude to Christians for their help during their dangerous crossings. Moreover, many expect that conversion to a new faith may improve their chances for obtaining asylum.
Thanks to new converts from Islam the number of parishioners at the Holy Trinity Church in a suburb of Berlin has increased from 150 to around 700 over the span of two years, Pastor Gottfried Martens reported. According to the newspaper, earlier this year many refugees were baptized in churches of Berlin and Hamburg.
As the newspaper noted, the Catholic Church of Austria has received no fewer than 300 applications for Baptism of adults for the first quarter of 2016, of which about 70% are refugees. Liverpool Cathedral in England holds special weekly services in Persian (Farsi), attended by 100-140 people – nearly all of them from Iran, Afghanistan, and central Asian countries.
Europe is currently experiencing the greatest migration crisis since the Second World War, caused mainly by a number of armed conflicts and economical problems in the Middle East region and North African countries. According to the Frontex European Union agency, 1.8 million migrants arrived to the EU in 2015.