Paulina Guzik
(OSV News): As 2026 begins, the suffering of persecuted Christians is as urgent as ever—in many places, heartbreakingly overlooked. The past year has shown how fragile religious freedom remains, even as believers carry on with courage and hope.
Regina Lynch of Aid to the Church in Need warns: “There are more cases, more countries where religious freedom doesn’t exist or is being eaten away.”
Nigeria: Ongoing crisis, faith endures
Nigeria remained one of the most dangerous places for Christians throughout 2025. Attacks by militant groups and extremist militias devastated whole communities. Last year alone, thousands were killed or abducted, including priests and school children.
In the northeast, especially Maiduguri, Christians lived under constant threat. “Every day is a grace,” said Bishop John Bakeni, “because we never know what will happen in the next hour.”
Despite the violence, faith endured—up to 94 per cent of Nigerian Catholics attended Mass every week. Yet, as Lynch pointed out, “all people are being attacked, not just Christians, but anybody who does not accept this form of jihadism.”
There are more cases, more countries where religious freedom doesn’t exist or is being eaten away
Regina Lynch
Syria and Gaza: Fear and resilience
In Syria, Christians and other minorities faced rising violence and displacement in 2025. In June, a suicide bomber attacked Mar Elias Church in Damascus during Divine Liturgy—a stark reminder of their vulnerability.
At least 20 worshippers died and over 60 were injured. The attacker, linked to Islamic State, opened fire before detonating his vest. Around 350 people were inside the church at the time.
In Sweida, sectarian violence in July 2025 destroyed St. Michael’s Church and dozens of Christian homes. “This community has lost everything,” said one survivor.
Advocates called the 2025 security situation “disastrous.” Syria’s Christian population has plunged from 2.1 million in 2011 to about 540,000 by the end of last year.
Every day is a grace, because we never know what will happen in the next hour
Bishop John Bakeni
Syrian Archbishop Jacques Mourad warned, “the Church in Syria is dying,” as many see no future under the new government.
Still, Church leaders urged Christians to stay in their ancestral lands. “These are the living stones. They carry the roots of our faith,” said Lynch.
In Gaza, Lynch noted that a small flock of about 400 continued to shelter in Holy Family Catholic Parish and St Porphyrios Orthodox Church. Despite a ceasefire in October after two years of Israeli bombardment, “They manage, but it’s not easy. … It’s terribly sad,” she reflected as 2025 closed.
Asia: Intensifying pressure on Christians
Across Asia, pressure on Christians rose sharply in 2025. In India, two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preeti Mary, and an indigenous youth, were arrested in Chhattisgarh on charges of “human trafficking and forced religious conversion”—charges condemned as “unlawful” by religious leaders.
Although reported attacks dropped sharply in 2025, experts warn this ‘decline’ simply reflects a climate of fear—few clergy dare report harassment or violence now that the church has been decimated
Their detention sparked outrage, with religious and civil-society leaders calling the charges “unlawful” and demanding their release.
A special court granted them conditional bail in August 2025, but the case remains a stark reminder of how legal tools can be used to harass Christians, stigmatise their humanitarian work, and suppress minority faiths.
Their release did little to stem growing concerns. A scathing editorial in Deepika, a Catholic daily, slammed the rise of Hindu fundamentalism under government patronage, warning that minorities were being silenced—especially Christians.
Persecution against Christians has steadily increased since 2014 when the prime minister, Narendra Modi, came to power, according to the New Delhi-based United Christian Forum.
In Central America, Nicaragua’s authoritarian regime continued its severe crackdown on religious institutions. Over two hundred clergy and Church leaders were detained, expelled or forced into exile during 2025, while churches and charities lost legal status and property.
Although reported attacks dropped sharply in 2025, experts warn this ‘decline’ simply reflects a climate of fear—few clergy dare report harassment or violence now that the church has been decimated.
In Central America, Nicaragua’s authoritarian regime continued its severe crackdown on religious institutions. Over two hundred clergy and Church leaders were detained, expelled or forced into exile during 2025, while churches and charities lost legal status and property
Religious freedom report alarming
Aid to the Church in Need’s 2025 Religious Freedom Report warned that persecution is spreading and deepening across continents.
“There are more cases, there are more countries where religious freedom doesn’t exist or is being eaten away,” Lynch said.
She emphasised that while ACN sends humanitarian aid, “prayer is something that those persecuted communities appreciate most.”
She said, “I’ve heard how much it means to local Christians to know there are Christians elsewhere in the world praying for them.”
Advocacy remains crucial. “Being a voice for the voiceless is very important,” Lynch added.
Rising secularism in the West makes it harder to raise awareness. “It’s not always easy to get people to realise Christians are being killed,” Lynch remarked.
Yet, those facing persecution show remarkable conviction. Lynch recalled a Pakistani man falsely accused of blasphemy who, even under torture, refused to renounce his faith: “He looked at a crucifix and said, ‘But he suffered so much more than I did.’”
