Recall, earlier we reported that Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East is concerned about the lack of dialog between the new authorities of Syria and the Christian society of the country. According to the patriarch, despite statements in the media about the upcoming all-Syrian conference, there have been no official contacts with Christian communities by the authorities so far. He noted that the Church is committed to dialog for the sake of peace and stability in the region.
More than 380 million Christians around the world are persecuted
According to the latest World Watch List 2025 report published by Open Doors US, more than 380 million Christians worldwide face persecution because of their faith. That’s one in seven believers in the world. Despite the growing pressure, Christian communities continue to exist and even grow in the countries with the highest levels of persecution. This is reported by the publication Christianpost.
The report, which analyzes the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians, traditionally calls North Korea the country with the highest level of persecution. However, the most dangerous regions also include countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In addition to North Korea, the most dangerous countries for Christians include:
– Afghanistan (10th place) – conversion from Islam to Christianity carries the death penalty.
– Algeria (19th place) – all Protestant churches in the country have been closed by the authorities and Christians are awaiting court sentences.
– Nigeria (7th place) – Christians in the northern parts of the country are being persecuted by Boko Haram and Fulani militants.
The report also points to an increase in violence in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. This was due to the activities of Islamist extremist groups that exploit the political instability in these regions. In particular, the situation has worsened in countries such as:
– Burkina Faso (20th place);
– Mali (14th place);
– Chad (49th place) – for the first time included in the list of dangerous countries for Christians.
The situation is particularly difficult in countries where internal conflicts continue, such as Yemen (3rd place), Sudan (5th place) and Myanmar (13th place).