“My prayers are with families in Kivu,” Pope Leo XIV Prays for Victims of Christian Persecution in DR Congo

DRC is top on the list of historically peaceful African countries that have started to experience growing religious extremism, according to Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International which documents persecution across the world.

ACN’s Religious Freedom Report (RFR) 2025 adds DRC to countries such as Nigeria where persecution of Christians is the highest in the world.

In July, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin described the July 27 attack in DRC, which killed at least 31 members of the Eucharistic Crusade, as “a dangerous sign”.

Raising alarm over the security of Christians in the region, Cardinal Parolin said, “This represents an additional problem in a region that already suffers from many conflicts of an ethnic, cultural, and sociopolitical nature. The addition of a religious aspect now further aggravates the situation.”

Back in 2021, Bishop Melchisedec Sikuli Paluku of the Diocese of Butembo-Beni spoke to ACN about the worrying situation of Christianity in DRC, noting that those behind the persecution of Christians in the country have “a grand scheme to Islamize or expel the local populations.”

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“All those who have been kidnapped by these terrorist groups and who have escaped alive from them report the same thing,” he said, and added that captives were given the choice between death and conversion to Islam.

He said that the victims were given Muslim names to cement their identity, adding, “Besides, even those who live in the Diocese and haven’t gone through this traumatic experience can tell you that mosques are springing up everywhere.”

As for Nigeria, persecution of Christians has prompted President Donald Trump to designate the West African country as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

In Mozambique, especially in the country’s northern province of Cabo Delgado, terrorism is linked to the Al-Shabaab, a militant group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Since 2017, the insurgency has reportedly resulted in over 6,100 deaths and displaced over 716,000 people.

In his address during the August 24 Angelus, Pope Leo expressed concern that violence in Cabo Delgado had continued to cause death and displacement, and appealed to the international community not to forget the plight of those suffering in the Southern African country.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I express my closeness to the people of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, who have become victims of an unsecure and violent situation that continues to cause death and displacement,” Pope Leo said.

He added, “In asking you not to forget these brothers and sisters of ours, I invite you to pray for them, and I express my hope that the efforts of the country’s leaders will succeed in restoring security and peace in that territory.”

Reflecting on the Gospel passage from Luke (Luke 21:5-19) in his November 16 address, the Holy Father said that the wars and persecution in the world are part of the “travails of history and the end times.”

“Looking at these events and knowing our hearts, Jesus invites us not to be overcome by fear,” he said, quoting the verse “When you hear of wars and insurrections…do not be terrified”.

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Pope Leo said that Christ’s appeal is timely “because unfortunately we receive daily news about conflicts, disasters and persecutions that torment millions of men and women.”

“However, in the face of these afflictions, and in the face of the indifference that seeks to ignore them, Jesus’ words proclaim that the attack of evil cannot destroy the hope of those who trust in him,” he said, and added, “The darker the hour, the more faith shines like the sun.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.