Several countries saw significant deterioration in religious freedom throughout 2024. Photo: Freepik

India: Hindu persecution against Christians increases and reaches 800 cases. They also seek to apply a new anti-Christian law

Data from the United Christian Forum (UCF) reveals 834 incidents of violence against Christians in 2024, a sharp increase from 734 the previous year. These acts include the destruction of over 400 churches in Manipur during ongoing ethnic violence and forced “reconversions” to Hinduism under the guise of “ghar wapsi” (“return to home”).

The 50 Countries that Persecute Christians the Most Today and The Role of Communism and Islamism

in 2024, 4,476 Christians were killed because of their faith, 4,744 were imprisoned for religious reasons and 7,679 Christian churches and properties were attacked. On average, one in seven Christians is persecuted worldwide, a situation suffered by one in five Christians in Africa and two in five Christians in Asia.

Vocations grow in Burkina Faso despite terrorism

Almost 40% of the young men at the inter-diocesan philosophy seminary come from dioceses in the “red zone” which are badly affected by terrorism. Despite all the difficulties, the number of seminarians in the country continues to grow. Just at St Peter and St Paul, the number of seminarians has increased from 254 in the 2019-2020 academic year – when terrorism began to affect the Church in Burkina Faso – to 281 for 2024-2025.