The month of November is a time to particularly remember those facing religious persecution around the world. In 2015, Aid to the Church in Need or ACN created Red Week to break the silence on religious persecution.
JOHN PONTIFEX
Aid to the Church in Need (UK)
Red Week is an opportunity for everyone all over the world to shine a light on where it is that Christians and others who suffer for their faith how it is that they suffer, and what it is that we can do as a community to shine a light on that suffering, to bring relief to those that suffer, and to pray for them.
Through Red Week, ACN encourages people to pray for and take action to help those facing persecution. In different parts of the world, rosaries are prayed and Masses celebrated on the last day of the week, Red Wednesday.
John Pontifex, Head of Press and Information for ACN, says that on Wednesday, people around the world are wearing red and different buildings are lit up with red lights to show solidarity with persecuted Christians.
JOHN PONTIFEX
Aid to the Church in Need (UK)
Red being very much the color of martyrdom and a time when we're remembering those who paid the ultimate price for their faith. It becomes a very important sign of solidarity to pick that month as the time to remember those who paid that ultimate price and indeed all those suffering who are still alive and who very much go day to day with harassment, discrimination, and worse affecting them day by day.
The Red Week campaign is focused on spreading awareness and sharing information about religious persecution. During this week, ACN releases the Persecuted and Forgotten Report. It analyzes the situation of Christians in 24 countries over the previous two years.
JOHN PONTIFEX
Aid to the Church in Need (UK)
Persecuted and Forgotten 2022 makes clear that in 75% of the 24 countries reviewed the situation for Christians has indeed worsened.
Pontifex says Christians face violence from mobs, forced conversions, and state laws restricting their religious freedom. In some Middle East countries, he describes how many Christians have had to flee to escape discrimination and intolerance.
JOHN PONTIFEX
Aid to the Church in Need (UK)
We now need to move to action to safeguard those who are persecuted for their faith recognizing that they need us to be advocates. They need governments in the West to work with those countries where there are difficulties to bring change.
For ACN, Red Week is just one way of bringing attention to ongoing religious persecution and it is a way to show solidarity with the more than 360 million Christians suffering persecution worldwide.
KG
