Red light, illuminating St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto on the night of Nov. 20 stood in sharp contrast to the darkness of the city’s skyline. 

Some 500 km to the east, the façade of Mary Queen of the World Cathedral and the dome of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, were also lit in red, as were other world-famous cathedrals including the Notre Dame Basilica in Paris.

In Ottawa, home to the embassies, high commissions and representative offices of 129 nations, the façade of the historic baronial-style mansion that serves as the embassy of Hungary, glowed red the same night.

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Nov. 20 is marked as Red Wednesday, an annual event in which participating churches and secular institutions around the world light their buildings in red, the colour symbolizing blood and sacrifice, to raise a conspicuous red flag on Christian persecution around the world, an issue too often ignored by the international political elite.

Described as an international day of prayer, action and awareness about Christian persecution around the world, and launched in 2016 with the lighting up of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Red Wednesday is an initiative of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international pontifical charity dedicated to supporting the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in need. 

Red Wednesday, largely through the efforts of ACN’s UK office, has now grown exponentially into an annual international campaign. 

“It’s a great way to remember those Christians who have lost their lives or are suffering for their faith,” Marie Claude Lalone, national director of ACN Canada, said. “Raising awareness is a good step, but it’s not enough. We need to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering.”

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“This year, we need Red Wednesday more than ever,” Mario Bard, ACN Canada’s head of information, told The Catholic Register, citing the organization’s newly released report Persecuted and Forgotten. The report revealed that in more than 60 per cent of the 18 countries surveyed, human rights violations against Christians had increased since the last report that covered 2020-2022.

Bard said the focal point of violent attacks against Christians has shifted from the Middle East to Africa where Christians in such countries as Burkina Faso and Nigeria continue to bear the brunt of Islamic extremism, though it notes Christians in Iraq and Syria face constant pressures to leave their ancient homelands.

The Hungarian embassy in Ottawa was marking its fifth year in the Red Wednesday campaign. A country that has stood firm by its Christian foundations and heritage despite the secularization of much of the Western world, Hungary takes a leadership role in raising awareness of the issue and in delivering practical help to victims of Christian persecution.

 “Hungary has a long history, and Christianity has always been a key to our identity,” said ambassador Maria Vass-Salazar. “After a turbulent history including years of religious persecution by communism, we preserved our faith which is very important to the Hungarian people.” 

A program called Hungary Helps, led by State Secretary Tristan Azbej, follows through on the Hungarian government’s position that solidarity must take the form of tangible and practical help.

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“The Hungarian government works with ACN and other non-profits through this program,” Vass-Salazar said. “Our Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with several church leaders including Pierbattista Pizzabella, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch, and affirmed his commitment to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to support religious activities that contribute to the survival of Christian communities in the Middle East.”

 The ambassador continued that since 2017, two million people in the Middle East and North Africa have been helped.