From our experience, we can give some safety advice for a person switching from other religions to Catholicism or living in atheist regimes.
The first commandment for those who become Christians is to love and care for everyone.
While you protect yourself or are forced to defend yourself you must always love. Love even those who hurt you, remembering that you are called to love even those who are not your friends.
Jesus taught us:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
and
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
1) DO NOT TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR CONVERSION
Don’t even tell your family or friends about conversion until you live on your own.
2) LEAVE NO TRACES
Leave no traces on your pc, smartphone, sms, books or diaries. Delete your device history and pay attention to automatic phone or email backups. Empty your trash and deleted posts/emails folders. Pay attention to printed pictures, holy cards, and prayers.
3) DON’T MAKE CHANGES TOO VISIBLE
Avoid sudden changes in dress or behavior. Changes that are too fast can cause dangerous reactions in your family or social environment.
4) IT IS BETTER THAT NO ONE SEES YOU WHEN YOU GO TO HOLY MASS OR PRAY.
Always choose moments when you are alone and, if you go to church, be very careful. If possible, go to an area where you are not known.
5) IF YOU CANNOT BE BAPTIZED IMMEDIATELY…
God sees your heart and, if there are great risks for your life or that of your family members, you must know that in case of danger of death, you can receive baptism from any Christian. Whoever baptizes you, do it with water saying “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
6) PAY ATTENTION TO TRANSLATORS AND CULTURAL MEDIATORS
If you are in a refugee camp, especially in Muslim countries, pay attention to translators (even those from Western organizations). Don’t talk about conversion unnecessarily. If you are in reception camps in Europe, be careful of cultural mediators and translators. If you have to seek political asylum because of your conversion, seek help from a Christian operator and verify that the translation is not changed to harm you.
7) USE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE
If you are seeking help regarding the risks you are facing because you are now a Christian, if possible, use a language other than your own to ask for help.
8) INTERNET and SATELLITE DISH
Learn to use proxies and VPNs to browse more anonymously. Or use the private browsing mode of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, etc. Clear your history and memorize (in your head) the addresses of the christian websites that interest you. Be careful not to tune your satellite channels to Christian channels. If you use social media, create unrecognizable sub-profiles, but don’t link them to a phone number.
This guide is just a first version that we would like to complete and translate into various languages and distribute in some tens of thousands of copies. If you want to support this initiative for the protection of Christians you can donate here
You can also write to us and pray for them and participate in the prayer network “Friends in prayer” that supports the association.
If anyone has other tips and advice you can write them here
info@amicidilazzaro.it
