New Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) report
Press release – For Immediate Release
Montreal/Königstein, November 12, 2024 – According to a new report published in Canada today, the persecution of Christians has worsened considerably in most of the countries surveyed.
Persecuted and Forgotten? provides a global and regional analysis, examining the situation of Christians in 18 countries of concern – from Nicaragua in Latin America to Myanmar in the Far East to Burkina Faso in West Africa – between summer 2022 and summer 2024.
Its release in Canada coincides with the upcoming Red Wednesday (#RedWednesday) campaign on November 20th, which aims to raise awareness of the persecution of Christians and issues relating to religious freedom, a fundamental right recognized in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Events, mainly Masses and times of prayer, are planned across Canada,” says Marie-Claude Lalonde, national director of ACN Canada. “Whether in Calgary, Pembroke, Saskatoon, Montreal, or Toronto, for example, Catholics across the country care and are committed to this event of solidarity and awareness. I invite them to consult the new report and to share it widely with their network.”
View or download a PDF version from ACN Canada’s website by visiting: https://acn-canada.org/publications-2/
“It saddens me to see that, year after year, the persecution of our sisters and brothers in faith increases, most of the time for the simple reason that they are Christian,” says Ms. Lalonde. “I strongly urge everyone to take part in Red Wednesday. Showing our solidarity in this way is a real balm for our partners who are suffering. Thank you very much for your support.”
For more information on Red Wednesday, please visit: https://acn-canada.org/rw/
Forced conversion of girls and displacement of populations
The report states that militant Islam was a key factor in the increased persecution affecting all six African countries reviewed, indicating that “the epicentre of militant Islamist violence has shifted from the Middle East to Africa.” It goes on to explain: “Mass migration of Christian communities, triggered by militant Islamist attacks, has destabilized and disenfranchised them, raising questions about the long-term survival of the Church in key regions.”
Countries where Christian persecution and oppression have increased include world powers such as China and India, as well as Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country.
For the first time in the report’s 18-year history, Nicaragua is included as one of the countries featured due to extreme oppressive measures targeting Christians, notably the mass detention and expulsion of clergy. The report presents first-hand testimonies from survivors of anti-Christian attacks, in addition to details of incidents based on information obtained from ACN’s local contacts.
Recurring themes in the report include the displacement of Christian communities following attacks by extremist groups, the forced marriage and conversion of Christian women and girls, the kidnapping and harassment of priests, and the publication of derogatory content about Christianity in school textbooks.
Other key findings from the report include an upsurge in violence against Christians in Pakistan triggered by blasphemy allegations, and the detention of more than 850 people under anti-conversion laws in India.
Anti-Christian persecution has been perpetrated by both state and non-state actors, such as terrorist organizations, other groups of religious extremists, and criminal gangs. The report states: “Authoritarian regimes, including those in China, Eritrea, India, and Iran, ramped up repressive measures against Christians, either in the name of religious nationalism or state secularism/communism. The restrictions included tougher sentencing for alleged insults against state ideology, confiscation of places of worship, increased arrests of clergy and laity, as well as longer periods of detention.”
Vietnam is the only country in the report where a slight improvement was noted, in particular because of “steps taken to re-establish diplomatic ties” with the Vatican.
