With “Red Wednesday”, the Catholic humanitarian aid organization “Igreja que Sufre” once again draws attention to the fate of persecuted Christians around the world. Around 130 churches, monasteries, monasteries and monuments will be lit up in red on Wednesday, November 15, including the Parliament, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Karlskirche in Vienna and the cathedral churches in Graz, Eisenstadt and Innsbruck.
Millions of Christians in many countries continue to be oppressed, persecuted and, in many places, murdered simply because of their faith. However, there is very little information about this in the Western world, the Church in Need said in a press release. “Being a Christian has never been as dangerous as it is today,” said Herbert Rechberger, national director of the “Church in Suffering in Austria.” In a world increasingly dominated by conflict, the persecution of Christians and the growing weakening of the general right to religious freedom often go unnoticed. “That’s why we want to use the red lighting of churches, monasteries and monuments in this country to draw attention to countless attacks against Christians – still a bitter reality,” as Rechberger complained.
The Austrian Parliament has once again joined the “Red Wednesday” campaign this year and will be bathed in red light from the evening of November 13th. “By enlightening parliament, as President of the Austrian National Council, I would like to set an example and contribute to raising awareness in the fight against the persecution of Christians,” said Wolfgang Sobotka, explaining his support. It is “absolutely unacceptable for people to be victims of violence and oppression because of their faith.”
On the evening of Wednesday, November 15th, the “Church in Suffering” invites you to a service at 6pm in the red-lit Karlskirche in Vienna. Ikenna Okafor, priest from Nigeria and parish priest of Lassee and Schönfeld (Lower Austria), will give the sermon.
In Dechantskirchen, in the parish of Vorau in Eastern Styria, a silent march will begin on the same day at 6pm, which will be led by the Diocesan Bishop of Graz, Wilhelm Krautwaschl. Afterwards, a liturgy of the word will be celebrated in the red-lit parish church.
The initiative came from Brazil
The “Church That Suffers” organizes “Red Wednesday” events around the world to raise awareness about the issue. Many churches will be bathed in red light and holy masses, services, prayers and ecumenical meetings will take place there, even in distant Australia, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. In Germany, these include the cathedrals of Passau and Regensburg, as well as Freiburg Cathedral, Dresden Cathedral and Paderborn Cathedral; in Slovakia, the impressive castles of Nitra and Bratislava. In France, the cathedrals of Chartres, Reims and Versailles, among others, are also lit in red.
The “Quarta Vermelha” initiative originates in Brazil. In 2015, the local office “Aid for a Church in Need” lit the world-famous “Cristo Redentor” (Christ the Redeemer) statue in Rio de Janeiro in red to protest the persecution of Christians in Iraq. The following year, the Italian office continued lighting the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Since then, many other countries have followed suit and the initiative has been supported by various Christian denominations in many other regions. Every year, AIS supports more than 5,000 projects in around 130 countries and helps Christians who are oppressed or do not have the necessary means to live their faith.
Overview of all participants in Austria: www.red-wednesday.at