christians – Page 3 – FoRB in Full

Pope Francis leaves a legacy of standing up for freedom of religion or belief. His successor must build on it.

Posted on 28/04/202528/04/2025 by cswpress in Burma, Central African Republic, China, Iraq, Nicaragua, Syria

‘There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.’

It is both fitting and moving that Pope Francis included these words in what was to be his final public address, delivered on his behalf by Master of Liturgical Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Ravelli to a crowd of over 20,000 people at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

Throughout his 12-year papacy, Francis was a committed friend to the poor and the marginalised, a vocal advocate for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and other fundamental human rights, and a man who spoke truth to power right up to the final days of his pontificate.

At a time when leaders of such humility and integrity appear to be in increasingly short supply, it is essential that his successor follows his example.

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A year since over 170 Protestants were forced from their homes, authorities in Mexico’s Hidalgo State must take action to protect religious minorities

Posted on 25/04/202525/04/2025 by cswpress in Latin America, Mexico

It was the end of 2015 when Rogelio Hernández Baltazar returned to his community in Rancho Nuevo in the Huejutla de Reyes Municipality of Hidalgo State. He had spent several months working in the fields of Coahuila in Northern Mexico, because there were no opportunities for work or to generate income to support his family in his own village.

This time things were different; he returned to his community transformed after having struggled for years with alcohol addiction and anger management. While he was working in Coahuila a colleague had invited him to the local Fundamental Baptist Church, where he made the decision to convert to Christianity. What he did not know was that it would have serious consequences within his community.

When Rogelio returned home things seemed not to have changed much, but something inside him had. He had only been attending the church in Coahuila for two months, but when he returned to his indigenous Nahuatl community, people noticed such a significant change in him that they began to wonder what had happened to him in his workplace. With the little understanding that he had, Rogelio began to explain that his radical change was due to what he had read in the Bible, so he invited people to Bible studies in his home.

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A un año de que más de 170 protestantes fueran expulsados de sus hogares, las autoridades del Estado de Hidalgo, México, deben tomar medidas para proteger a esta minoría religiosa

Posted on 25/04/2025 by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Mexico ES

A finales de 2015, Rogelio Hernández Baltazar regresó a su comunidad en Rancho Nuevo, municipio de Huejutla de Reyes, estado de Hidalgo. Había pasado varios meses trabajando en los campos de Coahuila, en el norte de México, porque no había oportunidades de trabajo ni de generar ingresos para mantener a su familia en su propio pueblo.

Esta vez las cosas fueron diferentes; regresó a su comunidad transformado tras años de lucha contra la adicción al alcohol y controlar la ira. Mientras trabajaba en Coahuila, un colega lo invitó a la Iglesia Bautista Fundamental local, donde decidió entrar al cristianismo. Lo que no sabía era que esto le traería graves consecuencias en su comunidad.

Cuando Rogelio regresó a casa, las cosas parecían no haber cambiado mucho, pero algo dentro de él sí. Solo llevaba dos meses asistiendo a la iglesia en Coahuila, pero al regresar a su comunidad indígena náhuatl, la gente notó un cambio tan significativo en él, que empezaron a preguntarse qué le había pasado en su lugar de trabajo. Con la poca comprensión que tenía, Rogelio comenzó a explicar que su cambio radical se debía a lo que había leído en la Biblia, así que invitó a la gente a participar en estudios bíblicos en su casa.

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MYA Video footage shows St Patrick's Cathedral on fire on 16 March. CREDIT RVA Kachin Facebook

An attack on St. Patrick’s Cathedral the day before St. Patrick’s Day is yet another indicator of the remorselessness of the Myanmar military

Posted on 02/04/2025 by cswpress in Asia, Burma

17 March is a significant date for the community of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the Banmaw diocese of Myanmar/Burma’s Kachin State.

It is, of course, the feast day of the church’s patron saint – a day of prayer and celebration in honour of one of the most revered figures in Catholic Church history.

This year, however, the community was unable to mark the occasion as they normally would have done, as on the evening of 16 March the cathedral was set on fire by soldiers from the State Administration Council (SAC), which falls under the authority of Myanmar’s ruling military junta.

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El pastor Efrén Antonio Vílchez López es una de las cientos de voces independientes que el gobierno nicaragüense se apresura a silenciar.

Posted on 02/04/202504/04/2025 by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Nicaragua ES

El 15 de mayo de 2022, el pastor evangélico-protestante Efrén Antonio Vílchez López fue golpeado y detenido al salir de la funeraria donde trabajaba en San Rafael del Sur, municipio a 50 km al suroeste de la Capital Managua.

No se le informó de los cargos que se le imputaban, y su familia no supo su paradero durante tres días. Permaneció recluido en la Comisaría de la Policía Nacional de San Rafael del Sur durante más de dos semanas y luego fue trasladado al Sistema Penitenciario Nacional Jorge Navarro, conocido como “La Modelo”.

Durante su detención, las autoridades no le proporcionaron al pastor Vílchez López, quien padece diabetes e hipertensión, la insulina diaria que necesitaba, lo que puso en peligro su vida y lo obligó a ser trasladado a una clínica para recibir urgentemente tratamiento médico.

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