The Vatican's Foreign Minister, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, has said that anti-Christian feeling has been increased, by the war on terrorism. He said Christianity is often mistakenly seen as being inextricably linked with Western political policy, and has suffered as a result of the backlash against the West. Speaking at a conference in Rome, the Archbishop disclosed that Vatican diplomats are discreetly attempting to persuade the UN and other bodies to recognize the term "Christianophobia" and the UN General Assembly in New York is to debate the issue this month.
The World Council of Churches (WCC), which unites over 340 Protestant and Orthodox churches around the globe, said it was not consulted on the new term. It's international affairs director, Peter Weiderud, said "There is always a risk with these kinds of labels. It's not helpful to look at the problem as one religion against another."
