By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Christians in Japan should keep alive the memory of the persecution their ancestors endured for their faith and should also pray for Christians suffering persecution around the world today, Pope Francis said. Meeting Nov. 30 with members of the Hidden Christians Research Association, the pope led […]
Nicaragua asserts control over church during Holy Week
By David Agren OSV News CUERNAVACA, Mexico — Catholics turned out in large numbers to celebrate Holy Week in Nicaragua. But the ruling Sandinista regime prohibited public exhibitions of faith — such as processions and reenactments of the passion of Christ — as it continued exercising control over religious activities in what’s becoming an increasingly […]
Cameroon bishops condemn kidnapping, church burning
By Ngala Killian Chimtom Catholic News Service YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon — Catholic bishops in Cameroon’s war-torn English-speaking regions said they were left in “shock and utter horror” following the burning of a church and the kidnapping of five priests, a nun and at least two laypeople. The incident occurred Sept. 16 at the St. Mary’s Catholic […]
Pew: Social hostility toward religion down, government hostility high
By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Social hostilities against religious believers and churches dipped in 2019, according to a Pew Research Center report issued Sept. 30. Government hostilities toward religion, though, remained at their highest level since Pew started conducting this research a dozen years ago. In 2019, 43 countries had either “high” […]
Victims of religious repression give horrific testimony
By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Many people may not think about religious repression since it doesn’t happen in the United States. For those who may argue that it does, then it doesn’t happen on the scale and terror of those living in countries with authoritarian regimes. Testimony from survivors of religious repression […]
Elderly Indian Jesuit says training, work help him cope in jail
By Catholic News Service BHOPAL, India — An elderly Jesuit priest struggling in an Indian jail with ill health says he still finds happiness in listening to the stories of other inmates and credits his congregation for the training that helps him cope with his situation. Father Stan Swamy, 84, has been in Taloja Central […]
‘Soft’ ethnic cleansing of Christians reported in northeast Syria
By Dale Gavlak Catholic News Service AMMAN, Jordan — Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly assuring U.S. Vice President Mike Pence that his forces would not persecute religious minorities in northeastern Syria, people on the ground say minorities are being targeted. Amnesty International reported that the Turkish military and its allied Syrian armed groups […]
‘They want to kill you’
The Iraqi monks had just finished hiding manuscripts when the Islamic State militants showed up By Doreen Abi Raad Catholic News Service BEIRUT — The first time a band of Islamic State militants “visited” the monks, they presented the monks with a kind of suggestion, in a nonthreatening manner: “Why don’t you become a Muslim?” […]
The persecuted church: Catechist instructor shot dead in southern Mexico
By David Agren Catholic News Service MEXICO CITY — A catechist instructor was shot dead at a chapel in Chiapas state — another example of how the violence consuming Mexico is impacting the Catholic Church. The attack occurred June 15 in Acacoyagua, some 75 miles from the border with Guatemala, where 30 catechist instructors were […]
Four Catholics die in latest Burkina Faso church attack
The persecuted church By Catholic News Service OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Suspected Muslim extremists attacked another Catholic church in Burkina Faso, killing four people and raising the death toll among Christians to 20 in a wave of violence in the West Africa nation. The worshippers were killed when armed assailants broke into Our Lady of […]