Like so many other religious groups, Catholics are undergoing persecution. We are like the early Church following the resurrection of Jesus and the time of the apostles, when the Church found itself in a hostile world and its members doing their best to live out their baptismal call.
Jesus says to have no fear of ridicule, persecution or criticism for being faithful to the Gospel, but to be afraid of wasting one's life chasing after trivial things, Pope Francis said.
The Catholic Church has failed to defend Christians effectively, partly because it historically accepted persecution as part of its "community story," a Vatican official said.
Religious freedom is a human right for everyone — Christians, Muslims, Jews and people of every other faith. Right now, many of our fellow Christians do not enjoy that freedom.
