'Week of Witness' is an annual time set aside to honour the witness of Christians around the world who are experiencing persecution and death for their faith. According to a new report entitled 'Persecuted and Forgotten' published by Aid to the Church in Need, the problem of Christian persecution has gotten worse worldwide over the past two years. One of the main takeaways from this disturbing report is the fact that the violence Christians suffer at the hands of Islamic militants, has increased significantly in Africa including countries like Nigera, Burkina Faso and
According to the Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil in Iraq, Bashar Warda, in the foreword to the report: “Our prayer is that those reading this report, whether governments or others with influence, will do more than just pay lip service to reports of Christian persecution; they must match their words with action – clear and decisive policy commitment – to help those whose only crime is the Faith they profess”.
Below is an interview with Michael Kelly of Aid to the Church in Need on the content of the report.
Meanwhile, Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has urged parishioners to show solidarity with Christians who are persecuted and discriminated against because of their faith.
Archbishop Martin said, “Aid to the Church in Need’s ‘Week of Witness’ and ‘Red Wednesday’ are an invitation to Christians across the island of Ireland to stand in solidarity with, and bear witness to, the heroic example of our persecuted brothers and sisters in faith across the world. Pope Francis recently reminded us that one in seven Christians around the world face persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. It is staggering that some 360 million people do not have the freedom to express their faith, a freedom that we take for granted here. Pope Francis has spoken movingly about an ‘ecumenism of blood’ uniting all Christians together in suffering and shared witness.
“I thank God for the freedom of worship and religion that we enjoy on this island, a freedom that we did not always enjoy and which is denied so many people in our world today. I recognise that to be like Christ in an increasingly secularised world means being different, counter-cultural, and not easily swayed by the prevailing attitudes and opinions around us", he said.
Archbishop Martin concluded, “Thanks to the hard work of Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland, many parishioners across our island are expressing concrete solidarity with those who are suffering. For the Week of Witness and #RedWednesday, I invite you to pray for the gift of courage, the grace of witness and loyalty to Christ for Christians all over the world and especially for those who continue to be challenged, attacked, displaced or even murdered for what they believe in,” he said.
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