Increasing persecution of Christians in the world, more and more closed churches and beatings. These are the key findings of the latest report from NGO Open Doorsreceived from Revista west exclusive, releasing this Tuesday the 16th.
The document monitors countries hostile to the religion and provides humanitarian aid such as food, clothing and medicine. The research covers the period from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023.
According to the text, 365 million Christians face persecution and discrimination worldwide, an increase of 5 million compared to last year's survey in 13 countries. North Korea takes first place, Somalia second and Libya third.
Persecution of Christians, closed churches and suppression of freedom of expression
According to Portas Abertas, China is the country where the most churches have been closed, with 10,000 recorded incidents. In Algeria, for example, only four of the 46 churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA, its French acronym) are open.
The NGO also raised concerns about Nicaragua. “The hostility towards the Church in this country is no longer indirect and can now be seen through restrictions on religious freedom embedded in legal structures tailored for this purpose,” the NGO said.
In the report, Portas Abertas also recalled that critics of Daniel Ortega's regime, including priests, were arrested, universities closed and Christian media confiscated.
“The increase in violence, wars, hunger and ethnic and religious persecution is particularly reflected in the work of Portas Abertas, which uses information from the countries in which it works to effectively support and support persecuted Christians,” said the Secretary General of the NGO in Brazil, Marco Cruz.
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Below you will find the data compiled by Portas Abertas.
- Nearly 5,000 Christians have been killed in religious attacks worldwide (NGO says there could be more);
- Attacks on churches, Christian schools and hospitals increased sevenfold, from 2,110 (2023) to 14,766 (2024);
- The number of Christians beaten or threatened rose from 29,411 reported cases (2023) to 42,849;
- Attacks on homes increased by 371% compared to 2023 (4,547 to 21,431);
- The number of Christians forced to leave their homes or go into hiding has more than doubled, from 124,310 to 278,716
- 365 million Christians (one in seven worldwide) face high levels of persecution and discrimination because of their faith up from 360 million last year.