Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)

A number of churches, public buildings, and monuments across four continents were lit up in scarlet Wednesday in protest of Christian persecution.

Mozambique Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa said that citizens are “terrified” over a spate of recent jihadist attacks in the country, as emboldened Islamists show no sign of letting up in their assaults.

Sudanese Christians are cautiously hopeful that their new civilian government will allow them the freedom long denied under the oppressive Islamist dictatorship of general Omar al-Bashir.

More than 60 percent of the world’s population of more than 7.5 billion reside in countries where the right to religious freedom is obstructed or denied. An estimated 505 million Christians face persecution for following their faith, a Catholic NGO Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) report indicated this week.