Orate pro nobis.
Both St. Peter and St. Paul have their own special feast day, so why is their a solemn commemoration for them together? The reason is that this day recalls to our minds the fact that they both were martyred (some say on the same day) in Rome during Nero’s genocidal persecution of Christians.
The significance of their martyrdom as the focus of this solemnity reveals this commemoration as one of remembering all who have been martyred for their faith in Jesus.
Christians are the single most persecuted religious people on the planet. Most people have never heard that. I’ve been trying to raise awareness of this fact as a priest for 20 years.
Open Doors, an organization that tracks persecution of Christians worldwide, provides direct support, and releases an annual report on the persecution of Christians (https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/), notices an “alarming” increase in violence against Christians by Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, the number of religiously motivated killings jumped from 4,650 in 2021 to 5,014 in 2022 — making up 89% of all religiously motivated killings worldwide. The rest are by Socialist/Communist regimes. That means on average 15 Christians are martyred daily, mostly at the hands of Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa.
The global Muslim jihadist assault is destabilizing countries in West and Central Africa as well as other nations around the world. Entire countries are at risk of collapse into extremist violence. 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa face high levels of persecution; half of these have violence scores in the “extremely high” range.
The global Muslim jihadist movement, which seeks to expand Sharia across not just the African continent, but the whole world, has forced Christians into constant motion, from their homes to displacement camps, or to other countries. The insecurity stemming from this experience of forced displacement makes Christians even more vulnerable to further violence. Christian girls and women, in particular, are targeted for sexual assault and being sold into slavery, while men are more likely to lose their lives, and boys are either sold into slavery or forced to become Muslims and jihadists.
Today, more than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. In Open Doors’ World Watch List top 50 alone, 312 million Christians face very high or extreme levels of persecution. Christians killed in 2023 so far have numbered 80% more than five years ago (3,066).
As we go about our days, let us bear in mind the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, that for some it is a social norm and therefore not very costly, and for others it costs everything.
May we who live in nations where being a Christian is safe never forget the deadly plight of those who live daily in the valley of the shadow of death, and let us pray for their strength to remain faithful to the one who rose victorious from the grave.
Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
