The Voice of the suffering and persecuted​

"I am a religious, and my first responsibility is to bear witness spiritually and help people. This is what moves me. We lived through the war and witnessed it up close. Catechesis is important in helping to heal the wounds.”

"Once I was emotionally healed, l felt that there was a great need for a forum where single mothers could meet to share their experiences and find solutions to their problems—especially for the sake of their children."

“Children need something like a children’s Bible so that the image of Christ will become a living one in their hearts. The Church often does not have the means to acquire a children’s Bible written in the native language. Or the Church is being persecuted and is not allowed to publish literature of this kind. Many children are so poor that they cannot afford to buy a book. And so we would like to give them the Bible as a gift.”

“Being able to continue with my studies is what has helped me to remain hopeful and stay happy through these years. Now I want to be able to deepen my knowledge and help other people here in my country.”

“After my husband’s death, life became harder, more laborious. It was very difficult to raise our children without his support, so I decided to get out of the house and found work as a maid. Being a woman, I face many hurdles and challenges while on the job; it is hard to provide necessities for the family."

“Because of the good people God sent to us, I am able to participate in a pre-medical program at a college. I face religious discrimination there, as the school is Muslim, but I know that God is with me. ... It is my deep desire to become a doctor and help the poor, so no one dies like my father did.”

“CHRISTMAS is the celebration of the longing for our better self, for the heaven we search for in vain here on Earth, and for the carefree life that exists only in heaven.”

The report—noting that respect for religious freedom is on the decline worldwide—finds that 61 percent of the world’s population live in countries where the right to religious freedom is obstructed or denied outright.

Funding is falling short, the statement said, noting that “there is still a lot to do” to facilitate the return of Christians “to their respective ancestral communities from which they were expelled” as ISIS swept through the region in the summer of 2014.

"Our people have a very simple but very strong faith. Despite the problems of access to education and the lack of opportunities, the people are faithful to the Gospel, and our churches are full. Some 90 percent of Catholic Christians attend Mass every Sunday, and many also go to Mass during the week."