The new Christian martyrs Archives - Page 2 of 3

In India and across Asia, Christians are targeted for their faith

Dec 20, 2015

MUMBAI/BHUBANESWAR, India — To this day, Kanaka Rekha Nayak still cannot describe what happened to her husband, Parikhit, seven years ago without tears. An orgy of violence had swept the eastern Indian district of Kandhamal in August 2008 after the slaying of a local Hindu leader was erroneously blamed on

By John L. Allen Jr.

In Asia, a wide spectrum of anti-Christian persecution

Dec 20, 2015

Although Christianity represents just around 7 percent of Asia’s population, that’s still an enormous pool of humanity — about 310 million people. Christians form the majority faith in two Asian nations, the Philippines and East Timor. In Vietnam and South Korea, Christianity is the largest and best-organized religious option, even

By John L. Allen Jr.

China increases its crackdown on Catholics

Dec 20, 2015

As the ranks of Catholics in China have swelled, so, too, have government efforts to corral the trend — through heavy-handed crackdowns and police surveillance, if rarely by actual physical assault. This attempt at state control extends to the appointment of clergy, as the case of Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma

By John L. Allen Jr.

Photos: The new Christian martyrs in Asia

Dec 20, 2015

#gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ An altar boy looks on during a midnight prayer service at the Our

By Crux Staff

Anti-Christian persecution around the world, in pictures

Dec 13, 2015

Crux associate editor John L. Allen Jr. and Vatican correspondent Inés San Martín traveled the world in 2015, documenting anti-Christian persecution in several countries. Revisit this gallery as more stories in their series are published and photos are added.

By Crux Staff

Syria: 'An endless Calvary'

Dec 13, 2015

Not so long ago, a 53-year-old engineer named George Shenekji Chankji was, by Syrian standards, living the dream. He was part of a thriving Christian middle class in Syria, where Christians traditionally counted for about 10 percent of the national population and tended to be over-represented among professional elites. Along with

By John L. Allen Jr.