Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis, Nicola Sturgeon and David Cameron have united in praising a new report that reveals the shocking scale of Christian persecution around the world.

The Holy Father has given his full support to Persecuted and Forgotten?  the new report produced by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that has found Christians are being ‘ethnically cleansed’ from much of Africa and the Middle East and Scotland’s First Minister and the UK Prime Minister have praised ACN.

A letter from the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pedro Parolin reveals that the Pope was pleased to learn of the report—that details global persecution of Christians between 2013-2015—ahead of its launch at the House of Lords on Tuesday and in Scotland yesterday.

“He prays that those in positions of authority will diligently strive not only to end religious discrimination in their own nations,” the letter says. And ‘also seek ever more effective ways to increase international cooperation to overcome these offences against human dignity.’

The Scottish launch of the report took place at St Mary’s Cathedral in Aberdeen yesterday and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she ‘strongly condemns persecution or oppression of any kind and we are concerned by the horrifying persecution of Christians and others that continues across the world.’

“This report by Aid to the Church in Need provides welcome evidence-based analysis of the sustained persecution of Christian minorities,” she added. “Only by publishing reports such as this and identifying the extent and scale of the problem can we hope to take steps to address the persecution of minorities that sadly still exists across the world.”

At a time when Aid to the Church in Need has been criticised by secular groups in Scotland for its commitment to religious freedom, the charity welcomed the First Minister’s statement that she is ‘committed to creating a modern, inclusive Scotland which protects and respects human rights.’

Among the findings of the report are fear of a Christian ‘genocide’ has prompted a migration of Christian refugees of the Middle East and Africa, that Christianity is on course to disappear from Iraq within five years and Christians around the world are increasingly the target of nationalist religious movements— ‘Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist.’

At the launch at the House of Lords on Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron also signalled his support in a statement.

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—This story ran in full in the October edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.