By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-11-16 00:36:07 | Updated at 2024-11-23 08:08:35
1 week ago
CV NEWS FEED // Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an international Catholic charity, is organizing hundreds of activities in more than 20 countries for Red Wednesday on November 20.
The global event aims at raising awareness of Christian persecution and religious freedom issues throughout the world. Initially a single day of solidarity, marked by illuminating churches and secular buildings in red, it has grown into extended initiatives in some areas, such as “Red Week” or “Red November,” featuring prayer vigils, testimonies, conferences, and exhibitions.
Next week’s event is marked by the release of the 2024 edition of Persecuted & Forgotten?—a report highlighting conditions for Christians in 18 countries where persecution is severe. According to the report, most of these nations have seen conditions worsen or remain unchanged. ACN USA presented the report at the USCCB Plenary Assembly on November 12, encouraging U.S. bishops to support “Courage in Faith Week,” an initiative inviting bishops to advocate for persecuted Christians, offer Masses for martyrs, and engage their parishes in solidarity.
In Australia, Christian suffering in the Holy Land will be a focus. Participation has doubled since last year, with 22 dioceses and five Eastern Catholic eparchies committed to Red Wednesday activities. Many will light their cathedrals in red. New Zealand will join for the first time, with two dioceses participating.
Canada’s Montreal will host a special Mass on November 20, and St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest shrine to St. Joseph, will be illuminated in red. Toronto will hold a Red Wednesday vigil. In Latin America, countries like Chile and Mexico — where churches have faced arson and priests have been killed — are taking part. Colombia will feature a testimony by Sister Gloria Narvaez, who survived terrorist captivity in Mali.
Europe will host the majority of activities. Hundreds of churches in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany will shine in red light. In Germany, an ecumenical concert by the Evangelical band “Koenige und Priester” will stream live on Catholic and Evangelical media. The Persecuted & Forgotten? report will be officially presented in Fulda on November 21.
According to ACN, France will integrate its longstanding Night of Witnesses — with testimony from victims of persecution — into Red Week for the first time. The event will travel through several cathedrals, accompanied by an exhibition on religious persecution, with a special focus on Armenia, Pakistan, and Burkina Faso.
According to a report of Religious Worlds, the Night of the Witnesses 2024 will feature prayer vigils in Paris, Versailles, Ajaccio, Rennes, and Bayonne, honoring murdered priests and seminarians. Led by local bishops, each vigil includes prayers, meditation, and testimonies.
At the event, Father Laurent Balma will share stories of resilience amid jihadist violence in Burkina Faso. Father Hamazasp Kéchichian will discuss the struggles of refugees from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia). And Bishop Samson Shukardin will address discrimination, forced conversions, and persecution in Pakistan. The event aims to raise awareness about the challenges Christians face worldwide.
In Spain, Red Wednesday will feature the exhibition The Beauty of Martyrdom — a collection of stories of Christians suffering persecution in Africa, Pakistan, and Libya — across cities like Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza. Iconic sites such as the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and the Basilica of Covadonga will be lit red. Ireland will see 24 of its 26 cathedrals illuminated, alongside the Slieve Patrick statue and the Marian Shrine at Knock.
In the United Kingdom, Catholic schools will livestream their awareness efforts, and the annual Red Wednesday Mass at Brompton Oratory will present the Courage to be Christian Award. Events at the Palace of Westminster and Scottish Parliament will focus on the plight of displaced Christians and children suffering from persecution.
According to ACN, activities are also confirmed in Portugal, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Malta, and the Philippines, in the effort to make the world more aware of the severity and extent of Christian persecution.
