In our secular society, injustices and persecution against believers are largely ignored — possibly because religion is absent from the public arena. It is also because people are less and less educated about religion. As a result, it is difficult for most Westerners to fully grasp the nature and scale of the situation today. Currently, an estimated 327 million Christians worldwide live in countries where religious persecution is rampant. They are at risk of being attacked, arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and, in the worst cases, killed, solely on the basis of their beliefs.* It is also estimated that 75 percent of religiously motivated violence targets Christians, possibly making them the most persecuted religious group in the world.

Red Wednesday is an event aimed at highlighting the persecution and injustice suffered by Christians, while promoting respect and tolerance between people of different religions. We want people to take a stand for their faith, and more broadly, for religious freedom.

Wear red today to support the right of Christians worldwide to practise their faith peacefully, free from fear, harassment, or obstruction, and join us for Mass at 6:30 to pray that every being, regardless of their religion, may live in peace and harmony without any kind of persecution.. 

For more information about Red Wednesday and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN),  a Catholic and Pontifical Charity, please visit https://acn-canada.org/red-wednesday.