London:

In a report from Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity, global Catholic persecution hit a peak in 2023, with 132 priests and religious figures arrested, taken, or killed. The report highlighted Belarus, China, Nicaragua, and Nigeria as hotspots for persecution. The actual count is likely higher due to data challenges. The total number of cases increased by eight in 2023 compared to 2022. Authoritarian regimes targeted the Church for speaking out against human rights abuses or attempting to operate freely.

In Nicaragua, 19 clerics, including two bishops and 4 seminarians, were arrested in 2023. Two priests were released, but 17 were expelled on January 14. China saw 20 clergy arrests, Belarus 10, and Ukraine 2. India also detained religious sisters and at least five priests. Despite some releases, many still face potential imprisonment. Nigeria had the most abductions (28) in 2023, including three religious sisters. Haiti, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia also saw high numbers. Most abductees were freed, but four priests remain missing.

Of the 132 cases in 2023, 86 involved detained religious leaders, with the rest either in custody or at large at the start of the year. ACN's statistics cover all forms of religious persecution worldwide. ACN's President expressed deep concern about the threats faced by priests in countries like Nigeria and Nicaragua.

The USCCB's annual report on religious liberty in the United States highlighted attacks on "houses of worship" as the most serious threats. It noted rising tensions and violence against religious places, especially in light of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the 2024 election. Vandalism and violence against Catholic churches in the US have increased since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on abortion, with over 400 attacks from 2018 to 2022. The report also outlined federal mandates that could impact the Catholic Church and its institutions in 2024.

On a sad note, after a four-day brutal attack that killed more than 200 Nigerian Christians on Christmas Eve, survivors are now struggling to rebuild their lives in IDP camps without essential supplies. Villagers in Plateau state have accused the radical Fulani group of the attack, which took place in Mangu, Kaduna, Bokkos, Jos East, and others. No arrests have yet been made.

An ICC staffer visited a Barkin Ladi county IDP camp that housed over 1,000 Christians with no access to safe water. The staffer said women and children were struggling to drink from a small hole and were begging for food and water from the international community. The coordinator of Barkin Ladi's government-run IDP camp, David Nanpet, said women are in dire straits in the camp, with no access to clean water. He said his community lost 21 people in the Christmas Eve massacre, and nine were injured, and his village was destroyed, with all its houses and four churches burned.