Christian Persecution

Arzoo Raja, a 13-year-old Catholic girl in Pakistan whom a 44-year-old man allegedly kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam, and married, has been recovered and is in protective custody. Raja, who is from Karachi, was kidnapped in broad daylight Oct. 13 by Ali Azhar, 44. Raja’s parents... Read more

Rita Masih cried for her daughter with open hands pleading outside a courthouse in Karachi. “Arzoo, come to your mama. He will kill you. My daughter is sitting in the front,” she cried before fainting to the ground. Her relatives placed her on a marble bench under a tree and poured... Read more

On October 22nd, the Holy See Press Office announced that the Vatican has renewed its agreement with China’s state officials – the new expiration date of the agreement is October 22, 2022. The Vatican states: The primary objective of the Provisional Agreement regarding the appointment of... Read more

A Jesuit priest arrested in India on charges of sedition will remain in jail for at least another two weeks, after the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences has called for his release, along with other international organizations.  Fr. Stan Swamy, S.J., was arrested Oct. 8... Read more

When Communist officials kidnapped and killed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, they likely did not intend to help create a Polish hero, martyr and future saint for the Catholic Church. Although the Communists had been trying to kill Popiełuszko in ways that would seem like an accident, they... Read more

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a global campaigner for religious freedom, has called for continued prayers for Nigeria after the release of four students and their teacher who were kidnapped in August. The gunmen also killed one man and burned down a local church during the raid in the... Read more

Seyed Mohammad Mahdi comes originally from Iran, a country in which religious freedom does not exist and where possession of a Bible can mean a death sentence. Mahdi was forced to leave Iran and is now living as a refugee in Spain. He shares his personal witness in an interview with Aid to the... Read more

In some ways, Nigeria is a fine example of why many believe the “future of the Church is in Africa.” The continent’s largest nation (now more than 200 million people), with its fast-growing populace and strong religious tendencies, routinely exports priests to countries in need of... Read more

Last week, Azerbaijan reignited its long-simmering war with Armenia over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region, known in Armenian as Artsakh, has a Christian Armenian population of about 150,000, which makes it a minority territory in Muslim Azerbaijan (population 10 million). Thirty... Read more

A recently arrested Hong Kong entrepreneur and media executive said this week that he plans to stay in Hong Kong to face criminal charges stemming from his support for democracy on the island territory. The executive, Jimmy Lai, said that the Chinese Communist Party wants to supplant religion... Read more