A prominent Catholic leader is seeking to rally global support for Christian minorities facing persecution in Muslim countries.

On September 27, Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien called on Catholics around the world to support Christians in Israel and other Middle Eastern locations. His comments come at a time of rising tensions between Muslims and Christians.

“Our population there is ebbing—we are now only about 2 percent of the total population,” he told the Catholic News Agency. “The holy places where Christ walked and where monuments are established to recall His words, His death and resurrection, they are now less and less frequented. Therefore we must as good Christians around the world respect that patrimony.”

Only a month ago, O’Brien became the grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, an organization responsible for defending and promoting Christianity throughout the Holy Land. He said that the order is currently “not very well known even by those who are very active in the church,” and that he feels compelled to bolster its fame and boost awareness of the Holy Land among Catholics.

“I think anyone who has visited the Holy Land and walked those same streets where Christ walked for the carrying of the cross can’t help but be overwhelmed by the spirit which runs through every part of that experience,” he said.

O’Brien also said more Catholics should strive to make a pilgrimage to these historic Middle Eastern locations. “There’s no question this is the source of our faith and this is the source of renewal we all should all be looking for in our spiritual lives. And I don’t think there’s any place better than that little plot of God’s land where that spiritual renewal can take place more effectively and more long lastingly.”

Viewing O’Brien’s apparently innocuous comments in light of the Catholic Church’s history is sobering.

In 2004, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote about the escalating tensions between Catholicism and Islam regarding Jerusalem: “The Catholic Church has been shocked by what is happening in the Islamic world. And it has dramatically shifted its approach to Islam—especially radical Islam. … Jerusalem is considered a holy place by both religions. It is indeed considered the “center of the universe” to the Catholics. They believe conquering Jerusalem makes them righteous. That has been their ideology from the beginning. It is still true today. … The Jews have Jerusalem now. But not for long. Both Muslims and Catholics have designs for Jerusalem. These two great powers are about to clash again—and go head-to-head in the final crusade over Jerusalem!”

Twelve days after O’Brien’s statements, Islamists clashed with thousands of Coptic Christians who were peacefully protesting the destruction of a church in the south of Egypt. The outbreak of violence left 26 Christians dead and over 300 injured, and provided a microcosmic view of the friction between Christians and Muslims. To understand the future of these escalating tensions, read Mr. Flurry’s article, “The Coming War Between Catholicism and Islam.”