Pope Francis has always shown deep sensitivity to the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide. Since the beginning of his pontificate, he has regularly spoken out in defence of these vulnerable communities, highlighting the injustices and suffering they endure. Whether in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, or other regions marked by conflict and violence, the Holy Father has expressed his unconditional support, urging the international community to intervene to protect the faithful. 

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is grateful for Pope Francis’s voice and support in this area. Our awareness efforts, which began during the 1950s, have helped more Catholics, and people in general, realize the extent of this tragic reality. 

Our new report, Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for Their Faith (2022-24), reveals that Christians in 16 of the 18 countries surveyed live in extremely precarious security environments. For example, in Pakistan, blasphemy laws can turn a neighbourly dispute into a sudden and unjust death sentence. In schools, textbooks denigrate religious minorities, instilling a mentality of opposition and superiority toward others from an early age, which is difficult to undo in adulthood. 

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Yet the inescapable paradox for Christians is that we are also called to martyrdom. Jesus tells us in the Gospels: “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes” (Matthew 10:22-23). 

This idea of persecution is particularly hard to bear. Dying by hanging, being beaten by a mob, decapitated, shot at point-blank range, hunted down, or suffering any other form of extreme violence is certainly not how we hope to die. However, in his teachings, Pope Francis reminds us—while denouncing the international community's inaction—that every Christian could be called to this.

On December 26, 2023, the Feast of Saint Stephen, the Holy Father declared during the Angelus: 

“Today, straight after Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr. We find the account of his martyrdom in the Acts of the Apostles, which describe him as a man of good repute, who served food to the poor and administered charity. Precisely because of this generous integrity, he cannot but bear witness to what is most precious to him: he bears witness to his faith in Jesus, and this unleashes the wrath of his adversaries, who stone him to death mercilessly. And this all happens in front of a young man, Saul, a zealous persecutor of Christians, who acts as “guarantor” of the execution.”

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According to the pope, there “seems to be an impenetrable wall between them [Stephen and Saul], as hard as the fundamentalism of the young Pharisee and the stones thrown at the man condemned to death.” However, Pope Francis believes that through witness, Saul’s conversion is prepared. 

On November 20, ACN highlights Red Wednesday. All around the world, buildings will be lit in red, including Toronto’s St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. A Mass, celebrated at 5:30 p.m., will allow people in the Greater Toronto Area to stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in faith who do not enjoy the same religious freedom that we do in Canada. This moment will also serve as a reminder that every Christian is called to martyrdom—in other words, to bear witness in their surroundings to the love, joy, and hope that their faith in Christ Jesus, who died and rose again, brings them.

Pope Francis concluded his Angelus message with the following:

“Now as then, in fact, the seed of their sacrifices, which seems to die, germinates and bears fruit, because God continues to work miracles, through them (cf. Acts 18:9-10), changing hearts and saving men and women.

Let us ask ourselves, then: do I care about and pray for those who, in various parts of the world, still suffer and die for the faith today? So many who are murdered for their faith. And in turn, do I try to bear witness to the Gospel consistently, with meekness and confidence? Do I believe that the seed of goodness will bear fruit even if I do not see immediate results?

May Mary, Queen of Martyrs, help us bear witness to Jesus.”

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For more information on Aid to the Church in Need and Red Wednesday, please visit www.acn-canada.org/rw.

(Mario Bard is head of information for ACN Canada.)