The foundation Aid to the Church in Need presented in Rome its report on anti-Christian persecution.

They titled it “More persecuted than ever.” It focuses on the 20 countries that most poorly treat Christians.

North Korea and Eritrea are still the most dangerous. The situation has improved only in Iraq and Syria, although they are still dangerous places for Christians.

ALESSANDRO MONTEDURO
Aid to the Church in Need (Italy)
“This “focus” aims to underline, value and show these areas of the world where our Christian brothers and sisters suffer.”
“Christian communities are the most persecuted, if we take into account the fact that one out of every seven Christians experiences a consistent or systematic form of persecution.”

CARD. LEONARDO SANDRI
Prefect, Congregation for Eastern Churches
“In some parts of the world, being Christian means risking one’s life. In other places, being Christian is allowed, but only if practiced privately. We have to think about what it means to be a witness in this context. It isn’t something merely spiritual or moral. It’s something vital.”

The presentation of the report was celebrated in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome, dedicated to martyrs of the last decades.

This priest participated. He survived the attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that left 253 victims last Easter Sunday. He left these items that were found in the rubble as a reminder of those who died while attending Mass.

It is a gesture to remember the persecution of Christians, so little known in the Western World.

Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translation: Claudia Torres