The religious persecution exercised by China and North Korea, restrictions on religious freedom in dozens of countries and the continuing threat of violence at the hands of religious fundamentalists belonging to a variety of faiths all have worsened since 2018, said Aid to the Church in Need, a papal foundation and Catholic charity.
U.S. Catholics have a growing concern about Christian persecution around the world, according to results of a new poll released March 17 by Aid to the Church in Need-USA in New York.
Millions of Christians in Uganda face persecution from radical Muslims and some members of traditional African religions.
Christians top the list for countries where they face either governmental or social hostility, according to a new report issued Nov. 10 by the Pew Research Center.
Nine nations were redesignated as “countries of particular concern” for carrying out or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Sam Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, urged more prayer and action to continue supporting persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
In an address during the State Department’s second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in mid-July, Smith said the “world of faith is under siege.”
They wove together a service of psalms and prayers from the Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and the Armenian and Syriac Orthodox traditions, all centered around the shared Gospel, symbolizing both Christian unity and U.S. government support to combat Christian persecution.
