The Pontifical Foundation’s “Aid to the Church in Need” has published a report confirming that the persecution of Christians has increased in 75%.
Newsroom (30/12/2022 7:35 PM, Gaudium Press) The Church celebrates the Feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr, on the day after Christmas. After centuries of Christianity, many more souls continue to be martyred.
The report published in November showed that in the 24 countries examined, persecution or oppression of Christians has increased by 75% since 2020.
The list includes countries where the violation of freedom of worship is particularly severe, for example, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, China, North Korea, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Maldives, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, and Vietnam.
Persecution in Africa
About 7,600 Nigerian Christians have lost their lives from the beginning of 2021 until June 2022. The Nigerian diocese of Ondo was the victim of one of the most violent terrorist attacks against Christians. On the feast of Pentecost in June 2022, 40 believers lost their lives to a terrorist attack.
Still on the African continent, in recent months Mozambique has seen an intensification of attacks perpetrated by radical Muslims supported by the Islamic State. Around 800,000 people have had to leave their homes and another 4,000 have died from the radical groups’ attacks.
Persecution in Asia
In the Asian continent, the authoritarianism of the governments prevents and persecutes Christians. North Korea is known for repressing any manifestation of religion. In Sri Lanka, political and military authorities have disrupted religious ceremonies. In other Asian countries, Christians are detained indiscriminately.
Persecution in the Middle East
Christians in the Middle East are threatened by the migratory exodus, as is the case in Syria, where Christians numbered 1.5 million in the period before the war, and now there are only 300,000. Another problem in the Middle East is the kidnappings and forced marriages of Christian girls to Muslims. (FM)
With information from Vatican News.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph