Martyrs of Today: The Ongoing Persecution of Christians in the 21st Century

On June 22, 2024, a suicide bomber targeted the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in the Damascus suburb of Dweila, resulting in the deaths of 25 congregants.

The Syrian government attributed the attack to the Islamic State, a group notorious for its relentless persecution of Christians over the past decade.

Despite coverage by major media outlets, the incident sparked minimal discourse on the broader plight of Christians in their ancestral homelands.

Across the Middle East, Christians are enduring such severe persecution that many are fleeing by the thousands.

In his recent book, The Martyrs of the New Millennium: The Global Persecution of Christians in the Twenty-First Century, prominent Catholic writer Robert Royal sheds light on this escalating crisis.

Royal's work underscores that the persecution of Christians is a worldwide phenomenon, resulting in numerous martyrs within the first few decades of this century.

In 2024 alone, nearly 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith.

While many of the top 50 countries responsible for Christian persecution are Muslim-majority, the leading offender is North Korea.

There, individuals discovered practicing Christianity are subjected to imprisonment, torture, starvation, and even execution.

Surprisingly, the most dangerous place for Catholic priests is not in Africa or the Middle East but in Mexico.

Between 2007 and 2022, as many as 50 Catholic priests were assassinated in narco-related violence.

When including nuns, seminarians, and lay pastoral workers, the number is significantly higher.

Other Latin American countries, such as Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and the Caribbean nations of Haiti and Cuba, have also seen religious leaders targeted by narco traffickers, criminal gangs, or even government entities.

The Middle East remains a perilous region for Christians.

Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Christian population was estimated between 800,000 to 1.5 million.

Today, that number has dwindled to between 150,000 and 400,000, as thousands have fled violence and persecution by extremist groups like the Islamic State.

Similarly, in Syria, the Christian population has decreased from approximately 1.5 million to 300,000, caught in the crossfire between the Syrian regime and various militant groups.

In Israel, Ultra-Orthodox Jews have been known to harass the minority Christian population.

In the 1990s, Christians comprised a majority in Bethlehem; now, they represent only about twelve percent of the town's population.

This decline is attributed to factors such as the border wall constructed by Israel in 2003 and Islamist threats from Gaza.

Africa, despite witnessing remarkable growth in Christianity, has also become a hotspot for martyrdom.

In 2023-2024, more Christians were martyred in Nigeria alone than in the rest of the world combined.

In 2023, nearly 5,000 Christians were killed.

Persecution is also prevalent in countries like Cameroon, Eritrea, Congo, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya, where 21 Coptic Christians were brutally beheaded by Islamic extremists in 2015.

In Asia, persecution takes various forms.

In Hindu-majority India, tensions with Christians have escalated under the rule of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In Pakistan, Islamic extremists exploit the country's stringent blasphemy laws to target Christians, some of whom have been placed on death row based on dubious charges.

Christian women are frequently abducted and coerced into marriages with Muslim men, with little attention from secular media.

Mobs often attack Christians accused of blasphemy, including allegations as trivial as stepping on pages alleged to be from the Quran.

In China, Christians are closely monitored, imprisoned, and sometimes disappear for failing to comply with the atheist regime's worship regulations.

Figures like Cardinal Joseph Zen and Hong Kong newspaper magnate Jimmy Lai have highlighted the Chinese Communist Party's influence over the Church.

Robert Royal's meticulous documentation of the persecution of Catholics and Christians worldwide in the early 21st century serves as a crucial resource.

It is imperative for both laypeople and clergy to recognize these modern-day martyrs and advocate for their canonization, ensuring their remarkable witness is honored and remembered.

Martyrs of the 21st-century Church, pray for us!