The killing of Father Charles Igechi June 7 is further evidence of Christian persecution in Nigeria, church officials in the country say.
Christian persecution
More Than 275 U.S. Catholic Churches Attacked Since 2020, New Study Says
More than 275 attacks on Catholic churches have taken place since 2020 according to a report updated Jan. 26 by CatholicVote, a political action group based in Wisconsin.
Catholic Priest Killed in Burkina Faso is Latest Victim of Terror Attacks
Father Jacques Yaro Zerbo, 67, Malian-born Catholic priest, was laid to rest Jan. 5 at a Catholic cemetery in Tionkuy, 150 miles west of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Two More Churches in Northern Nigeria Attacked Just Days After Funerals for Pentecost Attack Victims
Two days after funerals were held for 40 people killed in Nigeria during Mass on Pentecost, two more churches in the country, one Catholic and one Baptist, were attacked on June 19. At least three people were killed and more than 30 kidnapped.
Brutal Attack on Worshippers in Nigeria Is Called Attack on ‘Entire Church’
The brutal attack on people at a Catholic church in Nigeria on Pentecost Sunday is “an attack on the entire church,” said a U.S. official of Aid to the Church in Need, an international Catholic charity.
Pope Francis Prays for Victims, Country After Church Attack Kills Dozens in Nigeria
Pope Francis expressed his concern Sunday for a deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Nigeria on the feast of Pentecost that left somewhere between 25 and 50 people dead. The pope said he was praying for “the victims and the country.”
Persecution of Christians on the Rise in China
Although the world knows that the Dalai Lama lives in exile and is the face of Chinese repression in Tibet, and the media has shone a light on the persecution suffered by the Uyghurs in the Muslim region of Xinjiang, the “relentless, albeit silent, control” Christians suffer in China also deserves attention, according to experts speaking in Rome.
U.S. Religious Freedom Body Highlights, China, Russia, Nigeria in New Report
All five of the new countries that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the State Department designate as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs) have experienced Christian persecution in the past year.
Churches Prepare to Mark Nov. 7 Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians
Christians of different denominations will participate in the International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for persecuted Christians. It will yet be another opportunity to intercede on behalf of the estimated 260 million believers around the world who are experiencing high to extreme forms of persecution due to their faith.
New Report Says Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria at Highest Level for Years
At least 3,462 Christians, including 10 priests or pastors, were murdered in Nigeria in the first 200 days of 2021.
