The Lords of the Ecumenical Patriarchate call for international bodies to make the persecution of Christians their primary concerntranslated

The Lords of the Ecumenical Patriarchate express their strong concern for the systematic persecutions that Christians suffer worldwide. The occasion is the recent statement of Ettore Balestrero, Permanent Observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, regarding the rapid extent of the persecution of Christians throughout the world. "Nearly 400 million Christians worldwide," Balestrero said, "face persecution or violence, making them the most persecuted religious community in the world." He added that in 2025, "almost 5,000 will be killed because of their faith", which corresponds to a shocking rate of 13 Christians dying for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ every day.

The organization Open Doors, which monitors the persecution of Christians, confirms Balestrero's words, stating that "the number of Christians exposed to persecution and at risk of violence worldwide increased by 8 million people compared to last year, reaching a record 388 million."

Christian Nani, Director of Open Doors, said at the release of the organization's Global Watch List for 2026 on the…