As Pope Francis reiterates his call for peace in the world, his thoughts are with all those who are persecuted for their religion, a tragedy that affects people of all faiths around the world.
Vatican News
Vatican City, Monday, November 18, 2024: Pope Francis has stressed on several occasions that discriminating against a person for religious reasons is an intolerable act that endangers the ties of brotherhood between humanity.
On Sunday, November 17, “World Day of the Poor,” their request was no different. In the midst of devastating conflicts around the world, the Pope reiterated his prayers for all those who are persecuted for their religion and beliefs around the world.
Today, millions of believers face discrimination, violence, and even death for practicing their faith.
world chase
According to the Pontifical Aid to the Church in Need Foundation (ACN), which monitors religious freedom, more than 360 million Christians live in areas where they face high levels of persecution. This includes violence, incarceration, displacement and systemic discrimination. The organization’s 2023 Religious Freedom Report highlights that two-thirds of the world’s population lives in countries where religious freedom is severely restricted or non-existent.
Persecution of Christians in Nigeria and India
Countries where Christians are persecuted for their religion include Nigeria, where Islamic extremists continue to attack Christian communities, often kidnapping and killing those who openly practice their religion. Churches are often destroyed.
Similarly, India, where the majority of the population is Hindu, is seeing a rise in hostility towards Christians and other religious minorities.
Middle East
The Middle East has been the scene of violence for decades, and conflict and persecution have decimated the Christian population in the region. In Syria and Iraq, years of war and the threat of extremist groups such as the so-called Islamic State have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Open Doors International reports that only a small number of people from these displaced communities have been able to return to their homes and even then they face challenges getting their lives back on track.
role of the church
Throughout his mandate, Pope Francis has called for prayer and solidarity for persecuted Christians around the world. Organizations like ‘ACN’ and ‘Open Doors’ work tirelessly to provide financial assistance, rebuild communities, and raise awareness about the struggles believers face. In its latest report on the situation of persecuted Christians around the world, ACN stressed that “when one member of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer.”
But religious persecution is not limited to Christianity. It is a global problem that affects all religions and sects and, therefore, all of humanity.
Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar
One of these minorities are the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, for whom Pope Francis frequently prays. The Rohingya, declared stateless by the Myanmar government, have been victims of systemic discrimination for decades. The situation worsened in 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a violent campaign against the Rohingya, resulting in thousands of deaths and more than 700,000 people fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.
The campaign, widely considered ethnic cleansing by the United Nations and human rights organizations, included mass killings, sexual violence and the destruction of entire villages. Despite international condemnation, the Rohingya people are denied basic rights, including citizenship, education and the freedom to practice their religion. They live in overcrowded refugee camps with limited access to food, healthcare and security, and face constant threats of violence.
Although the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is the most recent, flagrant and brutal form of religious persecution, other religious minorities continue to suffer at the hands of extremist governments. In Afghanistan, although the numbers are very small, Hindus and Sikhs have been decimated and have fled the country due to threats from extremist groups.
call to conscience
Under the guidance of Pope Francis, known as the “Pope of the Periphery,” the Church remains steadfast in its fight for religious freedom around the world, and Pope Francis often extends his prayer and closeness to all those who reach out to him. needed all over the world. . We suffer any type of injustice, regardless of religion or creed, because “we are all members of one human family.”
