Who will speak up for Christians?
If Christians won’t speak up for our persecuted brothers and sisters, who will?
It’s a sad reality that at a time when there is a heightened global awareness about the need to protect minorities, the persecution and targeting of Christian communities where they are in a minority never makes the headlines in our newspapers or evening news bulletins.
A bomb attack at a Church in Nigeria – an all too common occurrences – isn’t deemed worthy of news in Ireland. Many of our politicians who are extremely eloquent about speaking on a wide variety of issues, fall silent when the issue of anti-Christian violence and discrimination is raised.
Even many very committed parishioners know little or nothing about the suffering endured by so many Christians for their faith.
That is why the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need holds a ‘week of witness’ each November to highlight those who suffer persecution and discrimination because of their faith in Jesus Christ. This year the week will commence on Sunday, 16 November and run until Sunday, 23 November. Thanks to the generous support of many dioceses and parishes, the centre of the week – Red Wednesday (19 November) has become an important marker on our calendar.
Red Wednesday is at the heart of the week, and many parishes have heeded the call to hold special liturgies and prayer vigils for those persecuted, and sadly often forgotten. Red, of course, is the symbol of martyrdom and persecution and also brings to mind the blood that has been shed by those persecuted for being Christian. Many cathedrals and churches are lit red on that day to shine a light on the persecution of Christian communities.
While we sometimes grumble about the challenges we face in Ireland living our faith in an often-secular culture, for many of our fellow Catholics their faith puts them in grave danger. Today, over 360 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination worldwide. This includes violent oppression, government-imposed restrictions, societal discrimination, and social ostracisation.
Countries in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa are frequently highlighted as hotspots where Christians face the most severe forms of persecution.
In places like North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, being openly Christian can lead to arrest, imprisonment, or even execution. Strict blasphemy laws in countries such as Pakistan and Iran can lead to death sentences or life imprisonment for those accused of insulting Islam, a charge frequently levelled against Christians. These charges are often arbitrary, based on false accusations, or used as tools of personal vendettas.
For many Christians living in these areas, practicing their faith must be done in secret, away from the prying eyes of authorities, radical religious groups, or even neighbours. Underground churches have become a necessity and being caught attending one can result in severe punishment. In extreme cases, Christians are driven from their homes, forced to flee their communities, and live as refugees in foreign lands.
For the Week of Witness this year, ACN Ireland plans a range of activities, including prayer, advocacy, and public events, aimed at drawing attention to the struggles of persecuted Christians.
We have also prepared resources for both parishes and individuals who want to prayerfully support those who suffer for their faith. On Red Wednesday (19 November), we hope that many parishes will take the opportunity to hold a special liturgy or Mass to draw attention to the plight of our brothers and sisters who struggle to live their faith in difficult circumstances. These gatherings provide an opportunity for people of faith to come together in prayerful solidarity with those who are oppressed for their religious beliefs.
By drawing attention to their stories, ACN aims to give voice to those who are often voiceless and to assure them that they are not forgotten by the global Christian community.
The Week of Witness also seeks to promote religious freedom as a fundamental human right. Through public events and partnerships, ACN advocates for greater protection of religious minorities, especially Christians who face persecution in regions where religious intolerance is widespread.
The Week of Witness also emphasises the power of prayer, not only for the persecuted but also for those who perpetrate violence. It encourages the global Christian community to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation.
Above all, we hope that the Aid to the Church in Need Week of Witness serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing persecution faced by Christians around the world. Through public awareness, prayer, and charitable support, it shines a light on the struggles of those who suffer for their faith and calls on the global community to act in solidarity with them.
From his election, Pope Leo XIV has spoken extensively about the persecution of Christians, framing it as a persistent global crisis that demands urgent action from the Church, governments, and the international community.
He has described the suffering of persecuted Christians as ‘a wound in the heart of the Church’ and emphasised that silence or inaction equates to complicity. His statements often blend prayer, diplomatic calls for humanitarian aid, and commemorations of modern martyrs, highlighting examples from regions like the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
Following an Islamic State attack on a Greek Orthodox church in July in Damascus, Syria, that killed 25 worshippers and injured 63, the Pope expressed solidarity, declaring, ‘To the Christians of the Middle East, I say: I am close to you! The whole Church is close to you!’ He stressed the need for global support to foster peace and reconciliation in fragile post-conflict areas.
In September, during an ecumenical commemoration at St Paul’s Outside the Walls for over 1,500 ‘new martyrs’ of the 21st Century, the Pope also denounced ongoing persecutions, noting that ‘despite the fall of the great dictatorships of the 20th Century, even today the persecution of Christians has not ended – on the contrary, in some parts of the world, it has increased.’
In the 21st Century, you might be forgiven for assuming that religious tolerance and freedom are universally recognised and respected. However, Christians across the globe continue to face varying degrees of persecution, discrimination, and hostility. While the nature and intensity of this mistreatment differs from region to region, the phenomenon remains disturbingly widespread, affecting millions of believers in both overt and subtle ways.
When Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) was founded in 1947, it was to minister to and support those displaced by the Second World War. That sort of urgent humanitarian work has remained at the heart of ACN’s mission. Coupled with support for the spread of the faith like assistance to priests and religious in challenging circumstances, and the construction of new churches and schools, advocacy on behalf of those persecuted for their belief in Jesus has become an increasingly important element.
The ACN Week of Witness, which this year runs from Sunday, 16 November to Sunday, 23 November, has become an important feature in this advocacy and awareness-raising.
Earlier this year, Aid to the Church in Need sent a copy of a heartbreaking report Persecuted and Forgotten? to all members of the Oireachtas. The report detailed and documented attacks on Christian communities in dozens of countries. Along with the report, we sent a letter asking TDs and Senators to raise the issue of anti-Christian persecution in the Dáil and Seanad. Disappointingly, only a handful of Oireachtas members even acknowledged receipt of the report and a smaller number again said they would highlight the issue.
Wherever you go around the world and meet Christian communities who suffer for their faith, the first thing they ask if ‘pray for us’ and this is usually quickly followed by ‘don’t forget us’. As a papal charity at the service of Pope Leo, Aid to the Church in Need is committed to ensuring that these communities are not forgotten. We are appealing to parishes, religious congregations and faith communities in Ireland to use the Week of Witness and Red Wednesday as a powerful sign that these communities are not forgotten. We know from our own history just how precious religious freedom and the right to worship according to our conscience is – our brothers and sisters who are in trouble are relying on us. If we won’t stand in solidarity with them and speak up for them, who will?
If you would like more information on how you can participate or support the Week of Witness or Red Wednesday, please see www.acnireland.org or email info@acnireland.org or telephone Dublin 01 837 7516.
Brandon Scott
Communications and Advocacy Officer, Aid to the Church in Need Ireland
www.acnireland.org