Should Christians who are helping migrants from war-torn regions in the Middle East try to convert these refugees, who are mostly Muslims?

The answer is "no," as far as Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller is concerned, the Catholic News Service reported.

Speaking at an international conference at the Vatican organised to reflect on Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, the Catholic prelate warned Christians against extending aid to refugees with the goal of changing their faith, saying this is equivalent to "practically a manipulation of the conscience."

Müller, who has been the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since July 2012, said individuals seeking refuge from the conflict in their homeland should be cared for "without hidden intentions."

The Cardinal likewise reminded Christians of their responsibility not just to give material things but also love to those who are escaping war and persecution, saying this is what Jesus Christ would want them to do.

"The mission of the church is to give witness to Jesus Christ. It would be a way of despising someone if I said: You only have material needs," Müller said during the conference.

He further said that Christians should know when to speak about God to non-believers, and when to just help with a quiet heart, without any hidden agenda.

"We must not use the charity we practice and transform it into an instrument of proselytism," Müller said. "An expert Christian knows when it is time to speak about God and when it is best to keep quiet. Sometimes a silent witness is the best witness of the love of God."

The Cardinal further said that individuals who need help will eventually feel in their hearts God's love and inquire about the Christian faith even without being told to do so, just like what is happening to thousands of refugees who found sanctuary in his home country, Germany.

"There are among these migrants, the majority of whom are Muslim, who ask, 'Why are Christians — and not our fellow Muslims — helping us?' The love of neighbour is a starting point to the love of God because God, through Jesus Christ, is the cause and essence of our love toward our neighbour," the Roman Catholic prelate explained.

He further reminded the Christian faithful that God "does not exclude anyone" because exclusion "builds a wall that separates us from God; this is the original sin."

Müller further said that the Church has a mission "to help overcome these walls" that only serve to exclude humankind "from both God and neighbour."