PKWP: The persecution of Christians in the planet is increasing

Over the past 2 years, persecution of Christians in the planet has increased significantly, according to the biennial study “Pharassed and Forgotten? study on Christians cornered by religion 2022-24, prepared by the Papal Association “Helping the Church in Need”. His latest edition was presented on October 22 in the British Parliament.

Persecution “higher than ever”

The investigation was carried out from August 2022 to June 2024 in 18 countries “of key importance”, as the Association explains, from Latin America to the Far East. A crucial part of them are the testimonies of people who have experienced spiritual attacks and detailed descriptions of any events that PKWP has reached thanks to local contacts in individual countries. As can be seen in the study on the PKWP website "The increase in spiritual harassment of Christians is higher than always before". The organisation recalls that this is besides reflected in investigation conducted by another institutions – specified as the Pew investigation Centre.

Helping Those Persecuted — Christian Obligation

The fact that aid to those persecuted for their religion cannot be treated as an optional activity of the Church, says Regina Lynch, president of ACN global (PKWP) in an interview with Vatican media. "The request to aid persecuted Christians around the planet is not only the defence of fundamental human rights and dignity, but besides solidarity with those persecuted for their religion in Christ," recalls the Pope Francis, who regularly calls for specified solidarity. Recently, in August 2024, the Pope stressed that Christians must be close to their brothers and sisters in faith, especially those affected by “injustice, abuse and hatred”. She stressed that PKWP was providing this assistance in 3 ways: through material support, prayer and the collection and promotion of cognition about the situation of Christians in the planet – as expressed by the association, reports: “Praced and forgotten” and “Report on spiritual Freedom”.

Mistred in various ways

The study shows not only the scale, but besides the diverse nature of the actions directed at Christ’s followers. Both state and public institutions and private groups, including spiritual extremists, and criminal groups, are the authors. Among the types of force and persecution listed are both arrests, increasingly on charges of blasphemy against another religions, forced resettlement and deportations, and the demolition or confiscation of places of worship, forcing conversion and marriage, intimidation and abduction, and promoting offensive and at the same time false information about Christians. It besides highlighted cases of double standards of law – including Christians with more restrictions than another religions, or the introduction of laws prohibiting the transition to Christianity or the treatment of Christians as enemies of the state.

Christian Exodus

Together with statistical data, the report's authors ask questions about the consequences of persecution for both Christians and the lands in which they live. This includes the fact that Christian migrations and the taking distant of their civilian rights “takes questions about the long-term endurance of the Church in key regions”. It was stressed that the most intense persecution of Christians had moved from the mediate East to African countries. At the same time, it was pointed out that in Syria, where more than 1.5 million followers of Christ lived before 2011, there are now about 250,000 of them, and in Iraq, the baptized now account for little than 0.5 percent of the population. In Burkina Faso, due to spiritual persecution, all tenth resident was forced to relocate.

Source: KAI/Dorota Abdelmoula-Viet, Vatican News PL