Holy See: Christians are most persecuted religious community in world By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Vatican News : Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva, highlights the persecution that Christians face across the world and emphasizes that nations must ensure religious freedom.

Nations bear the responsibility to protect, respect, and guarantee freedom of religion, said Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, at the event “Standing with Persecuted Christians: Defending the Faith and Christian Values” on March 3.

“Almost 400 million Christians worldwide face persecution or violence, making them the most persecuted religious community in the world. This means that one in seven Christians is affected,” Archbishop Balestrero said.

“Even worse, almost 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2025, which equates to an average of 13 per day," he said.

The Archbishop explained that for Christians, those who are killed for their faith are “martyrs,” so “’witnesses’ to their creed who embody values that challenge the logic of power,” while from the perspective of international law, “they are victims of outrageous human rights violations.”

“Their testimony must not distract from the fundamental responsibility of States which should have protected them,” the Permanent Observer highlighted.

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