By Matters India Reporter

Manila: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) devotes a day to pray for persecuted Christian around the world, Nov 6.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines declared November 6 as the National Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians. The CBCP requested all parishes to use the Votive Mass for Persecuted Christians found in the Roman Missal. A votive mass is a Eucharistic celebration for special purposes or occasions.

According to a report entitled “Persecuted and Forgotten,” produced by the office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in the United Kingdom, not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, “but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of persecution.”

The report discloses that most of the persecution is happening in countries where fundamentalist groups are present like Daesh (ISIS) in the Middle East and Boko Haram in Africa. Persecution is also notable in authoritarian nations like China and North Korea, said Josemaria E. Claro, Media and Communications Specialist of ACN Philippines in a press statement.

Persecution of Christians in the world is worse than at any time in history, he added.

Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University will mark the National Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians with the following activities: Votive Mass by the Grade School department at 6:30am (local time) at the Chapel of the Holy Guardian Angels and by the college department at at 7:15 am and 12 noon at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception (College Chapel). The Mass of ACN will be held at 11:30 am at the CBCP Chapel in Manila.

Aside from the Mass, Catholics are also encouraged to pray on Monday the Angelus for Persecuted Christians.

ACN is an international Catholic charity foundation under the Vatican that was established to assist Christian communities in need, including those that are undergoing persecution, oppression and discrimination.

One of these countries is Iraq where ACN’s report discloses that “the exodus of Christians is so severe that one of the world’s most ancient Christian community is on course to disappear within three years unless there is a dramatic change for the better.” ISIS has destroyed 13,000 homes and displaced 120,000 people in Nineveh, a Christian majority area in the said country.

Closer to home, Christians are also undergoing persecution in China where more than 2,000 churches and crosses have been pulled down by the government. Many members of the clergy are also detained since the government considers Christianity as a foreign infiltration. In neighboring North Korea, there are reports of “unspeakable atrocities” against Christians, including starvation, forced abortion, forced labor, imprisonment and torture.

The UK report also included the atrocities of the IS-inspired Maute group against Filipino Christians during the Marawi siege, Southern Philippines.

In the face of this persecution, ACN believes praying for persecuted Christians will make Filipinos more aware and hopefully move many to compassion so that they could support suffering Christian communities through education campaigns, political advocacies and for those who are able, through financial help, said Claro.

Filipinos who would like to contribute donations to Christian communities in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and other countries may do so through ACN. The money raised will be forwarded to ACN’s headquarters in Germany where it will be disbursed to church communities as financial aid to help reconstruct destroyed churches and war-ravaged communities, as well as funding for humanitarian assistance, and support for the formation of the clergy, religious and the laity among others.

On Nov. 22, ACN Philippines will also lead a nationwide campaign called Red Wednesday where the facade of participating cathedrals, minor basilicas, shrines and Catholic universities will be lit in red to honor and pay tribute to the sacrifice of modern-day Christian martyrs. Those that have committed to participate include the Manila Cathedral, the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Paranaque and the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace or more commonly known as the EDSA Shrine.

Philippines has 101.6 million population. The Catholic Church counts 80 percent of Filipinos as followers.