Pope praises charity’s report on religious freedom
After receiving a report from Aid to the Church in Need, Pope Francis expressed his great concern about violations of religious freedom in countries around the world.
The pontiff described Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World report as “very important” and pledged to continue praying for all those persecuted for their faith.
ACN’s report found that religious persecution had increased between 2021 and 2023, with religious liberty being violated in 61 countries.
Marcela Szymanski, Head of International Advocacy at ACN International, shared the pope’s response. She gave him an executive summary of the report during the annual conference of the International Catholic Legislators Network on August 24th.
More than 100 politicians from across the globe gathered in Rome for the meeting, which was entitled “The World at War: Permanent Crises and Conflicts — What Does It Mean for Us?”
ACN’s report examines the state of religious liberty in all 196 countries and is published in six languages.
The charity’s biennial Religious Freedom in the World report was first published in 1999 and is written by university research teams, members of national research centers, and other experts. The next edition is due in 2025.
