YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Amid a surge in violence against Christians in Nigeria, one civil liberties agency is linking the bloodshed directly to what it calls the Vatican’s “inconsistent” messaging.

The Catholic inspired human rights group – the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety – points to statements made by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin downplaying claims of genocide against Christians in Nigeria, and argues that such a position has emboldened the attackers and has left vulnerable communities without a powerful international advocate.

Speaking on the sidelines of the f the presentation of a report on religious freedom, compiled by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Parolin dismissed the religious angle to explain Nigeria’s conflicts, and explained that what is going on in Nigeria are a result of social inequalities and the struggle over resources, rather than targeted killings on grounds of religion.

But Intersociety points to the statistics to argue that what’s at stake is the very survival of Christianity in Nigeria: 280 Christians were killed and 623 abducted in just three months, with one five-day period in November seeing 388 people seized.

Crux spoke to Emeka Umeagbalasi, the Board Chair of Intersociety. Following are excerpts of that interview…

Crux: Can you elaborate on the specific evidence or patterns of violence that lead you to this conclusion, rather than using other terms, like communal violence?

Umeagbalasi: The term “communal violence” is part of the Nigerian government narrative and doesn’t accurately reflect the situation on the ground. Unlike “terrorism,” which lacks a universally accepted definition, “genocide” has a clear, unified definition under the United Nations Convention against Genocide of 1948. Genocide is defined as the targeted, systematic killing of members of any ethnic or religious group.

Yes, but the argument that Cardinal Parolin is presenting is that Muslims are also killed, and therefore to call it a targeted killing could be misleading.

Cardinal Parolin’s argument does not withstand scrutiny. While we respect the Catholic Church and view Catholicism as everyone’s property, the Secretary of State’s position is problematic because it mirrors the Nigerian government’s narrative. It’s concerning that he would involve himself in discussions about the situation in Nigeria, potentially aligning with what appears to be a defensive narrative promoted by the Nigerian federal government.

This is particularly troubling because Pope Leo has clearly spoken out about the fundamental issues facing Christians in Nigeria. On November 17th, he issued a powerful statement naming Nigeria as one of the worst countries experiencing Christian religious persecution. The Vatican Secretary of State’s position seems to undermine this clear and bold statement from the Holy Father, amounting to contradictory messaging from the Vatican.

The Catholic Church, historically respected for defending religious freedom since the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, recently launched a comprehensive report on religious persecution worldwide. This 1,248-page report, released on October 21, 2021, surveyed 196 countries and identified Nigeria as one of the worst places to be a Christian. Given this context, the Vatican Secretary of State’s position is inexcusable.

There is strong suspicion that the Vatican Secretary of State was not speaking independently but was influenced by external factors, likely from the Nigerian government. His language mirrors the narrative promoted by Nigerian authorities. This is particularly evident when both the Vatican Secretary of State and Father Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese downplayed the church’s own report on religious persecution in Nigeria.

But what evidence do you have to conclusively state that Nigerian Christians are facing a genocide?

Take Ukari Diocese for instance. The Catholic Bishop of Ukari in Taraba State recently addressed the media during which he said that in the past 10 years, since 2015, his diocese alone has lost 335 Catholic parishes.

Some 280 Christians were killed recently in Yelewata, Benue State. And then you have 315 students kidnapped from a Catholic school…what are we even talking about. We at Intersociety have documented the deliberate targeting of Christians in Nigeria. Just take for instance, between 2010 and October 10, 2025, 185,000 Nigerians were killed. These included 125,000 Christians and 60,000 nonviolent Muslims. 19,100 churches were burned to the ground and 1,100 entire Christian communities seized and occupied by jihadist forces allegedly backed or protected by the government.

But Parolin’s argument –and this seems to be backed by the statistics you have presented, is that Muslims are also killed. How do you respond to that?

This creates a concerning pattern where the pope makes strong statements about Christian persecution in Nigeria, naming it among the worst countries for Christians, only to have the Secretary of State undermine this position days later by suggesting there’s no genocide because Muslims are also being killed.

While it’s true that Muslims are also killed in Nigeria, this doesn’t negate the targeted nature of Christian persecution. Statistics show that for every ten people killed for religious reasons in Nigeria, approximately seven are Christians and three are Muslims. Muslims are typically killed by other Muslims in states with overwhelming Muslim populations like Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kastina—not by Christian jihadists.

The evidence of Christian genocide is clear: out of approximately 100,000 churches in Nigeria as of 2022, 20,000 have been destroyed in just 15 years. This pattern of destruction, combined with targeted killings, meets the definition of genocide under international law.

In addition, the Nigerian government has gone as far as violating the Constitution which expressly forbids the adoption of any religion as a state religion.

Can you explain how this has been done?

Section 10 of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution explicitly forbids any state from adopting a religion as a state religion. However, the Nigerian government has effectively violated this provision by promoting radical Islamism and operating as if Nigeria were a homogeneous Islamic Sultanate rather than a secular state.

While some states have adopted Sharia laws, these should be subordinate to the constitution according to Section 1, Subsection 2, which states that no other law shall contradict the provisions of the 1999 constitution. In practice, however, governors have been elevating Sharia law above constitutional provisions.

You have suggested that by downplaying the existence of genocide in Nigeria, the Vatican Secretary of State is inadvertently contributing to the violence against Christians. Can you explain just how this is so?

When the Vatican Secretary of State frames the crisis as a “social conflict” rather than religious persecution, it demoralizes Catholic faithful and other Christians worldwide who look to the Church for leadership and support. This diplomatic framing undermines the gravity of the situation and provides cover for those perpetrating the violence.

The Catholic Church has historically been a beacon of hope and moral authority. When its representatives appear to contradict or dilute clear statements about persecution, it weakens the Church’s moral standing and emboldens those who would continue the violence.

This is particularly troubling given that Nigeria is a state party to numerous international conventions protecting religious freedom, including the Geneva Convention of 1949, the Genocide Convention of 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

By minimizing the religious nature of the conflict, the Secretary of State’s position contradicts not only the pope’s statements but also Nigeria’s own constitutional and international obligations to protect religious freedom.