THE Chapel of San Fermín and Church of San Miguel in Pamplona They will be illuminated in red until next Sunday, November 24, to denounce the persecution of Christians around the world.
An action that is part of the international initiative Red Weekorganized by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) which supports Christian communities in 140 countries, particularly where they suffer from poverty, discrimination and persecution.
Inside rest of Spainmore than 140 parishes, from 35 dioceses, and 25 civil and religious monuments have joined this initiative, such as the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Roman Amphitheater of Tarragona, the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid or the Sanctuary of Covadonga in Asturias .
There are around 1,000 monuments in more than twenty countries around the world, such as the Palace of Westminster in London or the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur in Montmartrein Paris. In previous editions, the Colosseum in Rome and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro were illuminated in red by persecuted Christians.
“Persecuted and forgotten”
RedWeek is celebrated from November 18 to 24 and has different awareness and prayer actions. At the national level, the ACN presented the report “Persecuted and Forgotten” with recent cases of persecuted Christians and an analysis of the reality of persecution in 18 countries around the world. The pontifical foundation is also inaugurating this week an immersive exhibition on persecuted Christians entitled “The beauty of martyrdom» and presents the documentary “Heroes of Faith” with testimonies from Christians from Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Currently, millions of baptized people around the world live without full religious freedom and are subject to threats and even violent persecution. The fundamental right to religious freedom is in decline and the religion that suffers the most from these consequences is the Christian faith. This reality continues to be largely forgotten, which is why ACN calls for awareness and prayer for this cause.
These are some of the most iconic buildings that They were lit up in red for RedWeeksince the creation of this initiative in 2015:
- Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Basilica of Montmartre, in Paris.
- Palace of Westminster, London.
- Trevi Fountain and Colosseum, Rome.
- Cathedrals of Chartres, Bayonne and Reims, France.
- St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.
ACN has as RedWeek Senior Contributor to the Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACdP). In Navarre, the Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela also collaborates.
