Twenty missionaries are killed in 2023, two more than last year

According to reports from the Vatican agency, Fides, last year the murder of twenty missionaries around the world was recorded, two more than the previous year. The victims included a bishop, eight priests, two religious, a seminarian, a novice and seven lay people.

Africa leads as the continent with the most attacks against missionaries, with nine violent deaths, followed by America with six and Asia with four. In Europe, a layman also lost his life violently.

Pope Francis maintains that, through Baptism, each member of the People of God becomes a missionary disciple, being active in evangelization, regardless of his role or knowledge in the Church.

Regarding statistics from the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need, during 2023, 132 cases of arrests, kidnappings or murders of Catholic priests and religious were recorded, compared to 124 in 2022. The foundation points out the difficulty of obtaining precise data in some places by having to hide and be chased.

Among the most problematic countries are Belarus, China and India. And as we have already reported from the SIT, the Nicaraguan regime’s repression of Catholics continues to be very strong with no room for Christian communities to be safe, while in China the temporary arrest of about twenty priests is reported. In Belarus, the regime captured about ten priests, and in India, five priests and a nun were detained, although all face charges. Therefore, once again, the statistics get worse year after year, making it extremely important to focus on the need to help the persecuted Christians of the world.