ACN highlights that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world today and that the persecution of Christians is now worse than ever. We see from the ACN website that:

“The persecution of Christians is worse today than at any time in history. In terms of the numbers of people involved, the gravity of the acts committed, and their impact, not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the worst forms of persecution.”

Red Wednesday is organised between the 20th of November and the 1st of December in most countries. However, in Berlin, in Rome, and the Polish town of Poznan, churches were illuminated in red in October. 

This year, for the first time, the Hungarian capital, Budapest has also joined the initiative. As we speak, the Chain Bridge and the Saint Gellért Statue is being lit in red today. Besides Hungary, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ireland will also participate in the initiative. In the UK alone, 120 buildings, among them, 13 Cathedrals, will be lit in red on the 27th of November.

ACN suggests that individual persons who wish to participate in the initiative might do the following:

• Dress: Wear something red, or a red ribbon, to raise awareness of those persecuted for their faith. Take a photo of yourself wearing red and share it on social media with the hashtag #RedWednesday

• Pray: Prayer is the bond that unites us in love and solidarity with our brothers and sisters who suffer and are persecuted for their love of Jesus. Join us in praying this Red Wednesday prayer throughout November for persecuted Christians. You may also want to have a Mass offered for suffering Christians. 100% of Mass offerings are sent to poor priests who will celebrate Mass for your prayer intentions.
• Awareness: The persecution of Christians is too often ignored. You can change this by learning about the stories of those who suffer and making those stories known. Join our mailing list to receive our regular newsletter (via post or email), follow us on social media and share our content #RedWednesday. You can read some of the testimonies of our brothers and sisters here.
• Donate: By making a donation to Aid to the Church in Need you are helping us to fund projects that support Christians that are being persecuted, oppressed or are suffering. Each year we receive 7,500 requests from around the world but can only help with about 5,000 requests due to a lack of funds. If you would prefer to donate over the phone, you can call 1800 101 201 during business hours.
• Fundraise: From morning teas to marathons to garage sales to movie nights to raffles to bake sales. There is no shortage of creative ways one can raise support and raise funds for Christians in need.

To see the full list of the participating countries and churches click here.

Photo: ACN  official site