2020 has been a difficult one for many Christians around the world. Amid the desperation, the difficulties and the darkness of such intense persecution, there are glimmers of hope to be found for the future.

By Clodagh Gallagher

Coronavirus, terrorism, war and growing persecution of Christians. 2020 has seen dramatic escalations in aggression towards Christians. In many countries the coronavirus and its consequences have led to a further undermining of the right to religious freedom. Executive President of Aid To The Church In Need, Thomas Heine-Geldern, has described a “via Crucis of poverty, exclusion and discrimination” that Christians all over the world have suffered as a result of the 2020 pandemic. On top of this aggression, there has been increase violence against Christians. Africa been called a “continent of martyrs”, because of the rampant torture and murder of Christians by Islamists. Heine-Geldern remembers “Nigerian seminarian Michael Nnadi, murdered in Nigeria, and Philippe Yargas, a catechist from Pansi in Burkina Faso, also murdered for his faith” as just two of the many victims of religious persecution, whose names people know. However, there are many more who have been martyred unknown - some may still be alive, but it is difficult to know for certain. Let pray for their protection - in particular for Sister Gloria Narvaez, who is imprisoned in Mali by Islamists.

Although there is such violent persecution of Christians in Africa, there is hope. Africa has the fasting growing Catholic population in the world. They say the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church; well, as the persecutions have increased, so too have the number of religious vocations on the continent. Aid To The Church In Need supports many of these religious vocations by sponsoring seminarians and providing opportunity for our benefactors to sponsor priests directly, through Mass Offerings, 100% of which are donated directly to a priest providing pastoral care in the suffering, impoverished and persecuted Church.

In our work with local churches, we have seen an increased and more urgent cries for help as a direct result of the pandemic. Social discrimination against Christians has risen in countries like Pakistan and India because of pervading anti-Christian sentiment within state organisations. The practicalities of such discrimination means that many poor Christians have been refused state aid because of their religious beliefs. In response, Aid To The Church In Need set up emergency aid programmes in these countries, delivering supplies of food baskets to vulnerable Christian families. In countries such as Brazil, the Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Christians are among the poorest in society, we have received even more requests this year to support their pastoral and charitable work - which has not stopped during the pandemic. We continue to support these priests and religious in their apostolates and ministries.

We have been increasingly concerned by the devastating persecution of Christians in many African countries. In the Sahel region, in Mozambique and in Nigeria, the religious extremism of violent, radical Islamists is rampant. Their bloodshed threatens to annihilate any hope of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims in these countries, as they strive for power and economic resources. Hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered or internally displaced within their own countries. Many other aid organisations have withdrawn their aid because of the inherent danger in remaining in these countries, but the Church is still there and still caring for her people. Where the Church is, ACN will be also. We will not abandon our brothers and sisters who are being terrorised for loving Jesus.