Chinese underground Catholics have decided to challenge their government’s ban on the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. The Communist government has forbidden the underground Catholic community in Shanghai from visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan on 24 May — a day the Pope has called for Catholics worldwide to…

In the ongoing violence against Christians in Iraq, a 29-year-old father of three was kidnapped for ransom, then when his family did not have the $100,000 demanded, he was tortured, his eyes gouged out and he was beheaded. The horrific death of Ashur Yacob Issa was decried by the Archbishop of Kirkuk, who called it an “inhuman…

The United Nations has written to the Indonesian government expressing its “concern” about the increasing number of reports about violence committed against religious minorities, reports the Jakarta Globe newspaper. The Indonesian government denies any such violence — or having received any such letter. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” reports the Globe, “says it is yet to…

The pastors of 17 large “underground” churches throughout China have taken a risky step in petitioning the People’s National Congress to give China freedom of religion. Todd Nettleton of the Canada-based support group Voice of the Martyrs says, “What the petition says is, ‘Chinese Government, please follow the law.’ They’re not asking for new freedoms…

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