The Vatican Publishing House (LEV) has published the Pontifical Yearbook 2025 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2023, which was compiled by the Central Office of Church Statistics, a department of the Secretariat of State.

The data reported in the Pontifical Yearbook offers information regarding the life of the Catholic Church worldwide for 2024. During this period, one ecclesiastical province was created; three episcopal sees were elevated to Metropolitan Sees; seven new dioceses were established; one episcopal see was elevated to an archdiocese, and an Apostolic Administration was elevated to a diocese.

The Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae offers a snapshot of the main quantitative phenomena concerning the pastoral activity of the Catholic Church worldwide, including statistical insights for the biennium 2022–2023.

Global Catholic population
The global Catholic population increased by 1.15% between 2022 and 2023, rising from approximately 1.39 billion to 1.406 billion, a percentage very similar to that of the previous biennium. The distribution of baptized Catholics varies in the various geographic areas, in accordance with the different demographics of each continent.

Africa includes 20% of the Catholics of the entire planet and is characterized by a highly dynamic spread of the Catholic Church. The number of Catholics increased from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023, with a relative variation of +3.31%. The Democratic Republic of Congo confirms its first-place position for the number of baptized Catholics, with almost 55 million, followed by Nigeria with 35 million; Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya also register significant figures.

With a growth of 0.9% over the biennium, the Americas consolidate their position as the continents to which 47.8% of the world’s Catholics belong. Of these, 27.4% reside in South America (where Brazil, with 182 million, represents 13% of the world total and continues to be the country with the highest concentration of Catholics), 6.6% in North America, and the remaining 13.8% in Central America. When the number of Catholics is compared to the total population, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay stand out, with a Catholic incidence exceeding 90% of the population.

The Asian continent records a growth of Catholics of 0.6% over the biennium, and its weight in 2023 is around 11% of the global Catholic population. In 2023, 76.7% of Southeast Asian Catholics are concentrated in the Philippines, with 93 million, and in India, with 23 million.

Europe, while hosting 20.4% of the world Catholic community, confirms itself as the least dynamic area, with an increase in the number of Catholics over the biennium of just 0.2%. This variation, on the other hand, in the face of an almost stagnant demographic dynamic, translates into a slight improvement in territorial presence, which reaches nearly 39.6% in 2023. Italy, Poland, and Spain boast a Catholic incidence exceeding 90% of the resident population.

The Catholics of Oceania numbered just over 11 million in 2023, an increase of 1.9% compared to 2022.

Growing number of bishops
The number of bishops in the Catholic Church has grown over the last biennium with an overall variation of 1.4%, rising from 5,353 in 2022 to 5,430 in 2023. This growth trend is observed in all continents, with the exception of Oceania, where the number of bishops has not changed over the biennium.

The relative variation is somewhat more pronounced for Africa and Asia and below the world average for Europe and America. It can also be noted that the relative weight of each continent remains nearly unchanged during the period, proportional to the relative importance of the individual continental realities, with a greater concentration of bishops in America and Europe. In Africa, the share of bishops in the world total rises from 13.8% in 2022 to 14.2% in 2023.

The number of Catholics per bishop in 2023 varied significantly from continent to continent. While the global average is 259,000 Catholics per bishop, values of 365,000 and 334,000 are recorded for Africa and America, respectively. Particularly favorable is the situation in Oceania, where each bishop is responsible for 87,000 Catholics, which, from this point of view, indicates a slight excess of bishops compared to other continents.

Fewer priests
At the end of 2023, within the 3,041 ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the Catholic world, there were 406,996 priests, with a decrease of 734 compared to 2022, equivalent to -0.2%. The analysis by geographical area highlights an increase in Africa (+2.7%) and Asia (+1.6%) and a decrease in Europe (-1.6%), in Oceania (-1.0%), and in America (-0.7%).

In addition to the continents, a comparison of the distinction between diocesan and religious priests reveals that, in Asia and Africa, the overall increase in priests is attributable to the dynamics of both diocesan and religious priests.

In Africa, in particular, the overall increase in priests results from an increase of approximately 3.3% in diocesan priests and 1.4% in religious priests. On the American continents, the increase in diocesan clergy over the biennium stands out in Central and Latin America. In Europe, however, a reduction of 1.6% is observed both overall and in its individual components (diocesan and religious); the same pattern, though with a smaller decline (-1.0%), is observed in Oceania.

The distribution in 2023 by geographical area highlights that while 38.1% of the total priests are in Europe, 29.1% belong to the American continents, while the other continental areas follow with 18.2% in Asia, 13.5% in Africa, and 1.1% in Oceania.

The structural analysis of priests can be supplemented with that of Catholics to highlight any imbalances between the demand and supply of pastoral service. In the case of a perfect balance between the presence and the need for pastoral activity, the percentage composition of priests should coincide, for each territorial area examined, with that of Catholics. In reality, a comparison between the percentage composition of priests and Catholics shows that in 2023, significant discrepancies were recorded.

In particular, the percentages of priests exceed those of Catholics in North America (10.3% of priests compared to 6.6% of Catholics), in Europe (38.1% of priests and 20.4% of Catholics), and in Oceania (1.1% of priests and 0.8% of Catholics). The most evident shortages of priests are found in South America (12.4% of priests and 27.4% of Catholics), in Africa (13.5% of priests and 20.0% of Catholics), and in the Central Continental region of the Americas (5.4% of priests and 11.6% of Catholics).

Larger cohort of permanent deacons
Permanent deacons constitute the group of clergy that is growing most vigorously. In 2023, their number reached 51,433 compared to the 50,150 recorded in 2022, with an increase of 2.6%.

Territorial disparities remain pronounced: significant growth rates are observed in Oceania (+10.8%) and the Americas (+3.8%), while slight declines are recorded in Africa and Europe. No significant changes in the global distribution of deacons are noted during the biennium considered, except for a decrease in the relative number of deacons in Europe and an increase in that of America, mainly due to substantial growth in North America. This category of pastoral worker is particularly present in the Americas (especially in North America, which accounts for 39% of all deacons worldwide) and also in Europe (31%).

To highlight the supportive role of these workers in pastoral action alongside priests, one can consider the ratio of the number of permanent deacons, area by area, to the number of priests present. It is found that the worldwide distribution of deacons per one hundred priests is 13 in 2023, ranging from a minimum of just 0.5 in Asia to a maximum of 29 in the Americas. In Europe, the ratio is around 10, while in Africa, only one permanent deacon serves alongside every one hundred priests.

The magnitude of this index, although appreciable, is still quite modest for permanent deacons to have a significant impact on balancing the demand and supply of service to Catholics in the territory. However, in evolutionary terms, it is noted that permanent deacons tend to have a greater presence in those areas where candidates for the priesthood are lower in number.

Slower rate of decline in the number of consecrated religious
The reduction of both professed religious brothers who are not priests and professed religious sisters, which has occurred over time, continued in 2023, albeit at a less intense pace.

In particular, it should be noted that regarding professed religious brothers who are not priests, while an increase was recorded in Africa between 2022 and 2023, all other continents experienced a decline. It is worth emphasizing that the decline in South America has slowed compared to the average annual decrease of the previous period and that a state of stability is observed even in Central America. The relative weight of professed religious brothers who are not priests in the various areas, when considered over time, confirms the decline in Europe, which continues to decrease in 2023.

The decline in the number of professed religious sisters also continued in 2023. At the global level, their number decreased from 599,228 in 2022 to 589,423 in 2023, with a relative variation of -1.6%. Regarding their geographical distribution in 2023, nearly 32% reside in Europe, followed by Asia with 30%, the Americas with 23% (evenly distributed across the two hemispheres), Africa with 14%, and Oceania with 1%.

The decline in the number of professed religious sisters worldwide is largely attributable to a considerable increase in deaths, resulting from a high proportion of elderly religious sisters, while the number of those abandoning religious life has become less significant over the biennium.

Africa recorded a significant increase of 2.2% between 2022 and 2023, followed by Southeast Asia with +0.1%. North America, on the other hand, saw a decline of -3.6%. South America followed closely, with -3%, while the decline recorded in the Central Continental region of the Americas and the Central Antilles was more moderate. Europe holds the negative record, with a variation of -3.8%.

These movements naturally influence changes in the continental proportions of the total number of professed religious sisters. A reduction in the presence of religious sisters in Europe and North America is observed in the 2022-2023 period, to the benefit of Asia and Africa. Specifically, while in 2022 the total number of professed religious sisters in Europe and the Americas accounted for 55.8% of the world total, in 2023 this percentage dropped to 54.8%. The most significant changes in the period were observed in Southeast Asia (from 28.7% to 29.2%) and in Africa (from 13.9% to 14.5%).

Professed religious sisters remain a substantial reality, despite the globally observed decline and that in some continental regions. The total number of religious sisters is 45% higher than the priestly population. Even though their statistical role in service provision has generally declined over the years, their contribution to the life of the Christian community remains essential, sometimes even substituting for that of priests.

Continued reduction in numbers of seminarians
The temporal trend observed worldwide in the number of major seminarians indicates an uninterrupted decline that has been recorded since 2012.

In terms of total numbers, candidates for the priesthood decreased globally from 108,481 in 2022 to 106,495 in 2023, with a variation of -1.8%. The decline observed in the global total affects all continents except Africa, where seminarians increased by 1.1% (from 34,541 to 34,924). In Europe, Asia, and the Americas, but especially in the first continent, the decreases are significant (-4.9% in Europe, -4.2% in Asia, and -1.3% in the Americas). In Oceania, the trend is negative but of minor magnitude.

The percentage distribution of major seminarians by continent shows modest changes over the biennium. Africa and Asia contributed 61.0% of the world total in 2022, a percentage that rose to 61.4% in 2023. Apart from a slight negative adjustment in Oceania, the Americas and Europe together saw their share decrease. In 2022, American and European seminarians totaled 41,199, representing almost 38% of the world total, while one year later, they dropped to 37.7%.

To highlight the positive and negative surpluses of vocations at the territorial level, it is useful to compare the percentage distribution of seminarians with the corresponding distribution of Catholics. It follows that in 2023, significant disparities were recorded.

The percentages of seminarians exceed those of Catholics in Africa (32.8% of seminarians compared to 20% of Catholics) and in Asia (28.6% of seminarians and 11% of Catholics). These continents thus tend to fully meet the need to autonomously sustain their local apostolate.

In Europe and America, however, the percentages of seminarians are lower than those of Catholics (12.0% of seminarians and 20.4% of Catholics in Europe and 25.7% of seminarians and 47.8% of Catholics in the Americas). In these two continents, therefore, it is more difficult to adequately respond to the needs of the Catholic population, particularly in terms of generational turnover in the priesthood.
Sources:vaticannews

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ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ കത്തോലിക്കാ സഭയെക്കുറിച്ച്‌ വിശദമായ വിശകലനം നൽകുന്ന 2025 ലെ പൊന്തിഫിക്കൽ വാർഷിക റിപ്പോർട്ടും സഭയുടെ 2023 ലെ സ്റ്റാറ്റിസ്റ്റിക്കൽ ഇയർബുക്കും അടുത്തിടെ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ചു. സെൻട്രൽ ഓഫീസ് ഫോർ ചർച്ച് സ്റ്റാറ്റിസ്റ്റിക്സ് തയ്യാറാക്കിയ രണ്ട് റിപ്പോർട്ടുകളും 2022-2023 രണ്ട് വർഷത്തെ കാലയളവിൽ ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യയിൽ ശ്രദ്ധേയമായ വർധനവ് വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു. പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും, ആഗോള കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യയിൽ 1.15% വർധനവ് ഉണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട്. 2022 ൽ ഏകദേശം 1.39 ബില്യൺ കത്തോലിക്കരിൽ നിന്ന് 2023 ൽ 1.406 ബില്യണായി വർധിച്ചു.

ആഫ്രിക്കയിലും ലാറ്റിൻ അമേരിക്കയിലും ശ്രദ്ധേയമായ വളർച്ച

ആഫ്രിക്കൻ ഭൂഖണ്ഡം ആപേക്ഷികമായി ഏറ്റവും വലിയ വളർച്ച കൈവരിച്ചു. ആഫ്രിക്കയിലെ കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യ 3.31% വർധിച്ച് 2022-ൽ 272 ദശലക്ഷത്തിൽ നിന്ന് 2023-ൽ 281 ദശലക്ഷമായി. ഈ വളർച്ച പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും ചലനാത്മകമാണ്. ഏകദേശം 55 ദശലക്ഷം കത്തോലിക്കരുള്ള ഈ മേഖലയിൽ മുന്നിൽ നിൽക്കുന്ന ഡെമോക്രാറ്റിക് റിപ്പബ്ലിക് ഓഫ് കോംഗോ പോലുള്ള രാജ്യങ്ങളും, വിശ്വസ്തരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ ഗണ്യമായ വർധനവ് അനുഭവിച്ച നൈജീരിയ, ഉഗാണ്ട, ടാൻസാനിയ, കെനിയ തുടങ്ങിയ രാജ്യങ്ങളും ഈ വളർച്ചയ്ക്ക് സാക്ഷ്യം വഹിച്ചു. നിലവിൽ ലോകത്തിലെ കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യയുടെ 20% ആഫ്രിക്കയിലാണ് ഉള്ളത്.

ഏറ്റവും കൂടുതൽ കത്തോലിക്കരുള്ള ഭൂഖണ്ഡം അമേരിക്കയാണ്. ലോകത്തിന്റെ ആകെ ജനസംഖ്യയുടെ 47.8% വരും ഇത്. തെക്കേ അമേരിക്കയിൽ, ഏറ്റവും കൂടുതൽ കത്തോലിക്കരുള്ള രാജ്യമായി ബ്രസീൽ തുടരുന്നു. 182 ദശലക്ഷം, ലോകത്തിന്റെ ആകെ ജനസംഖ്യയുടെ 13% ആണ്. അർജന്റീന, കൊളംബിയ, പരാഗ്വേ എന്നീ രാജ്യങ്ങൾ 90% ത്തിലധികം കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യയുള്ള രാജ്യങ്ങളാണ്. അമേരിക്കയിലെ കത്തോലിക്കരിൽ 27.4% പേർ തെക്കേ അമേരിക്കയിലാണ് ഉള്ളത്. അതേസമയം 6.6% പേർ വടക്കേ അമേരിക്കയിലും 13.8% പേർ മധ്യ അമേരിക്കയിലുമാണ്.

ഏഷ്യ, യൂറോപ്പ്, ഓഷ്യാനിയ എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിലെ കണക്കുകൾ

ഏഷ്യയിൽ, 2022 നും 2023 നും ഇടയിൽ കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യ 0.6% വർധിച്ചു. ലോകത്തിലെ മൊത്തം കത്തോലിക്കരുടെ 11% മാത്രമേ ഈ മേഖല പ്രതിനിധീകരിക്കുന്നുള്ളൂവെങ്കിലും, ഫിലിപ്പീൻസ്, ഇന്ത്യ തുടങ്ങിയ രാജ്യങ്ങൾക്ക് ഗണ്യമായ സാന്നിധ്യമുണ്ട്. ഫിലിപ്പീൻസിൽ 93 ദശലക്ഷം കത്തോലിക്കരും ഇന്ത്യയിൽ 23 ദശലക്ഷവും ഉണ്ട്. ഇത് തെക്കുകിഴക്കൻ ഏഷ്യയിലെ മൊത്തം കത്തോലിക്കരുടെ 76.7% ആണ്.

ലോകത്തിലെ കത്തോലിക്കരിൽ 20.4% പേർ വസിക്കുന്ന യൂറോപ്പ്, കത്തോലിക്കാ വളർച്ചയുടെ കാര്യത്തിൽ ഏറ്റവും ചലനാത്മകമല്ലാത്ത ഭൂഖണ്ഡമായി തുടരുന്നു. 2022 നും 2023 നും ഇടയിൽ യൂറോപ്യൻ കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യ 0.2% മാത്രമേ വർധിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളൂ. ഇറ്റലി, പോളണ്ട്, സ്പെയിൻ എന്നിവ ഉയർന്ന അളവിൽ കത്തോലിക്കരുള്ള രാജ്യങ്ങളായി തുടരുന്നു. അവരുടെ ജനസംഖ്യയുടെ 90% ത്തിലധികം പേർ കത്തോലിക്കരാണ്.

ഓഷ്യാനിയയിൽ, കത്തോലിക്കാ ജനസംഖ്യയിൽ 1.9% നേരിയ വർധനവ് ഉണ്ടായി. 2023 ൽ മൊത്തം ജനസംഖ്യ 11 ദശലക്ഷത്തിലധികം മാത്രമായിരുന്നു.

ബിഷപ്പുമാരുടെയും വൈദികരുടെയും എണ്ണത്തിൽ വർധനവ്

2022 നും 2023 നും ഇടയിൽ ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ ബിഷപ്പുമാരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിലും 1.4% വർധനവ് ഉണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട്. 2022 ൽ 5,353 ആയിരുന്നത് 2023 ൽ 5,430 ആയി മൊത്തം ബിഷപ്പുമാരുടെ എണ്ണം വർധിച്ചു. ഓഷ്യാനിയ ഒഴികെയുള്ള എല്ലാ ഭൂഖണ്ഡങ്ങളിലും ഈ വളർച്ച ഉണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട്. അവിടെ ബിഷപ്പുമാരുടെ എണ്ണം സ്ഥിരമായി തുടർന്നു. ആഫ്രിക്കയിലും ഏഷ്യയിലുമാണ് ഈ വർധനവിന്റെ ഭൂരിഭാഗവും നിരീക്ഷിക്കപ്പെട്ടത്.

പുരോഹിതന്മാരെ സംബന്ധിച്ചിടത്തോളം, ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ കത്തോലിക്കാ സഭ അവരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ നേരിയ കുറവ് രേഖപ്പെടുത്തി, 0.2% കുറവ്, 2022 ൽ 407,730 പുരോഹിതന്മാരിൽ നിന്ന് 2023 ൽ 406,996 ആയി. ആഫ്രിക്കയിലും ഏഷ്യയിലും, പുരോഹിതരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ ഗണ്യമായ വർധനവ് രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ആഫ്രിക്കയിൽ 2.7% ഉം ഏഷ്യയിൽ 1.6% ഉം വർധനവ് ഉണ്ട്. യൂറോപ്പിലും ഓഷ്യാനിയയിലും പുരോഹിതരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ കുറവുണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട് (യൂറോപ്പിൽ -1.6%, ഓഷ്യാനിയയിൽ -1.0%).

ലോകമെമ്പാടും, 259,000 കത്തോലിക്കർക്ക് എത്ര പുരോഹിതന്മാർ എന്ന കണക്ക് പ്രാദേശിക അസമത്വങ്ങളെ പ്രതിഫലിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. ഓഷ്യാനിയയിൽ, ഓരോ കത്തോലിക്കർക്കും എത്ര പുരോഹിതന്മാർ എന്ന കണക്ക് വളരെ കുറവാണ്.

സമർപ്പിതരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ കുറവ്

2022 നും 2023 നും ഇടയിൽ സമർപ്പിതരായ വൈദികരുടെയും സന്യാസിനികളുടെയും എണ്ണത്തിൽ 1.6% കുറവ് ഉണ്ടായി. ഇതിൽ 599,228 ൽ നിന്ന് 589,423 ആയി കുറഞ്ഞു. ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ ഈ എണ്ണം കുറഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിലും, സമർപ്പിതരായ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ ആഫ്രിക്ക 2.2% നേരിയ വർധനവ് രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. അതേസമയം യൂറോപ്പ്, വടക്കേ അമേരിക്ക, ലാറ്റിൻ അമേരിക്ക എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിൽ ഗണ്യമായ കുറവ് ഉണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട്.

പൗരോഹിത്യ ജീവിതത്തിലെ കുറവ്

ഏറ്റവും പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ട പ്രതിഭാസങ്ങളിലൊന്ന് സെമിനാരി വിദ്യാർഥികളുടെ എണ്ണത്തിലെ കുറവാണ്. ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ, 2022 നും 2023 നും ഇടയിൽ സെമിനാരി വിദ്യാർഥികളുടെ എണ്ണം 1.8% കുറഞ്ഞു, 108,481 ൽ നിന്ന് 106,495 ആയി കുറഞ്ഞു. ഈ കുറവ് പ്രധാനമായും യൂറോപ്പ്, ഏഷ്യ, അമേരിക്ക എന്നിവയെ ബാധിച്ചു. അതേസമയം ആഫ്രിക്ക സെമിനാരി വിദ്യാർഥികളുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ 1.1% നേരിയ വർധനവ് രേഖപ്പെടുത്തി.

താരതമ്യേന, ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള എല്ലാ സെമിനാരി വിദ്യാർഥികളിലും ആഫ്രിക്കയും ഏഷ്യയും 61.4% ആണ്, 2022 ലെ 61% ൽ നിന്ന് ഒരു ചെറിയ വർധനവ്. എങ്കിലും, യൂറോപ്പിലും അമേരിക്കയിലും, സെമിനാരി വിദ്യാർഥികളുടെ അനുപാതം കുറഞ്ഞു.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com

http://theendtimeradio.com

President Donald Trump is being urged to help secure the release of two dozen Christians who advocates say are being held hostage by the government of Azerbaijan and follow through on his pledged support for “persecuted Christians” on the campaign trail.

A coalition of Christian leaders has signed a letter urging the president to take action on behalf of 23 Christian Armenians and one Azeri Christian convert currently detained in Azerbaijan. The letter, published on March 11, was spearheaded by the advocacy group Save Armenia.

Notable signatories include former United States Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, Christian artist and missionary Sean Feucht, National Religious Broadcasters President and CEO Troy Miller, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Commissioner David Curry, Save the Persecuted Christians Executive Director Dede Laugesen and civil rights activist Alveda King.

Former Rep. Michelle Bachman, R-Minn., who now serves as the dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, and Jim Garlow, former pastor of Skyline Church in California, also signed the letter.

The leaders expressed gratitude to Trump for showing “support for Armenia and persecuted Christians” during his 2024 presidential campaign and praised him for sending “a clear message to those who would undermine Armenia’s security and their rich Christian heritage as the first country in the history of the world to embrace the gospel of Christ.”

They believe the situation can only be resolved “by a leader of your qualities, a leader feared and respected by other world leaders.”

“Almost two years ago, Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed more than 120,000 Christian Armenians out of their ancestral homes, while the Biden administration refused to take action to stop the ethnic cleansing or punish the perpetrators of that crime,” the Christian leaders wrote. “Since then, the same regime has been holding 23 Christian Armenian hostages and one Azeri Christian convert, who are being subjected to routine torture, according to credible reports.”

The leaders stressed that the International Committee of the Red Cross, which they say was “the only organization with access to check on the well-being of the prisoners,” was recently ordered to leave the predominantly Muslim country.

Azerbaijan has found itself under the spotlight by international religious freedom advocates in recent years as it has warred with the predominantly Christian nation of Armenia over an area of land known as the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was previously a de facto Armenian-majority state within Armenia’s borders known as the Republic of Artsakh but has been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Last May, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom labeled Azerbaijan among its list of the world’s worst religious freedom violators. The watchdog warned that religious freedom violations trended negatively in the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial conflict.

Nagorno-Karabakh was mostly ethnic Armenian Christians before a mass exodus in 2023, with some experts accusing Azerbaijan of “ethnic cleansing.”

Azerbaijan secured a place on the advocacy group International Christian Concern’s “Persecutors of the Year” report in 2023.

“Azerbaijan’s end game is clear: to rid its borders of Christianity either by forcing the Armenian people and their faith out of Azerbaijan or destroying the people and historical sites,” the ICC report stated. It cited rhetoric used by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev to describe Armenians, specifically highlighting his characterization of the group as “barbarians, rats, and vandals.”

In their letter, the Christian leaders told Trump he is “the only one who can rescue these Christian hostages.”

“A few months ago, we saw how Hamas freed the Israeli hostages out of fear of your Administration,” they said, asking Trump to “utilize the authority of your office to stand for and with these 24 Christian lives, and once again send a message that murder and persecution of Christians around the world will no longer be tolerated.”

Last year, ICC called on the Biden administration to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan for its treatment of Armenians after obtaining testimony from Christians who were tortured in captivity. As highlighted on the website of Save Armenia, Armenia became the first nation to embrace Christianity in 301 A.D. Approximately 1.5 million Armenian Christians were killed in the Armenian genocide of 1915-16.
Sources:Christian Post

http://theendtimeradio.com