The Almudena Cathedral celebrated on February 27 the “X Night of the Witnesses”, a prayer vigil dedicated to persecuted Christians in the world. The Archdiocese of Madrid recalled that more than 400 million Christians suffer some type of persecution or discrimination because of their faith.
Summoned by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo, the faithful participated in a meeting that he wanted to be, in his words, an occasion to “pray and look at that Church that is in need of our prayer, our support, and our embrace”.
The celebration began with a procession with palms, candles, and photographs of Christians killed in various countries during the last year, as well as a chalice and an icon desecrated in Iraq by the Islamic State.
India: discrimination and anti-conversion laws
One of the central testimonies was that of Father Wilson Lopis, from the state of Karnataka (India) and incardinated in Madrid for fifteen years. The priest recounted the situation faced by Christians in his country of origin, where they constitute a small minority in a society with a large Hindu majority.
According to the Archdiocese of Madrid, discrimination can begin from childhood, especially in the school environment. In recent years, he explained, persecution has increased following the implementation of anti-conversion laws in several states of the country.
In statements also reported by COPE, Father Lopis pointed out that during election periods violence intensifies and that fundamentalist groups have carried out attacks against churches and faithful. Likewise, he denounced that many Christians demand greater protection from the authorities.
The priest emphasized that these laws, presented as instruments against forced conversions, have generated a climate of permanent suspicion toward Christian communities. Added to this are episodes of threats, assaults, and social pressures that make the daily life of the faithful difficult.
Mozambique and the drama of jihadism
The vigil also featured the testimony of the Bishop of Nacala (Mozambique), Monsignor Alberto Vera, who described the jihadist violence in the province of Cabo Delgado. A region marked by thousands of deaths and more than a million displaced people following attacks by groups linked to the Islamic State.
The auxiliary bishop of Madrid, Monsignor Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, who presided over the celebration, recalled that the testimony of persecuted Christians strengthens the entire Church and called for living with confidence in God and sustaining with prayer those who suffer because of their faith.