Global Action on November 20 Highlights the Human Right to Religious Freedom and the Growing Persecution of Christians Worldwide

Approximately 220 churches, monasteries, and even the Federal Chancellery will be illuminated in red light.

Editor’s Note:
This article has been translated from the Catholic news outlet Kathpress. FOREF is committed to sharing key content and best-practice reports that promote religious freedom and human rights with a global audience. Full credit for the original publication goes to Kathpress.

To draw attention to the human right to religious freedom and the growing persecution of Christians globally, the aid organization *Kirche in Not* (Aid to the Church in Need) established *Red Wednesday*. On November 20, hundreds of cathedrals, churches, monasteries, monuments, and public buildings around the world will be illuminated in red, both inside and out. In Austria, more than 210 churches, monasteries, and other ecclesiastical institutions are participating this year. Among the illuminated sites in Austria are the cathedrals in Eisenstadt, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Salzburg, and Vienna. Even the Federal Chancellery in Vienna will light up in red as a “red symbol” in support of protecting persecuted religious minorities.  

Government Initiatives for Religious Freedom  

The Austrian government’s increased efforts to protect religious minorities are evident through the establishment of the Office for International Protection of Persecuted Religious Minorities in May 2024. Religious freedom, according to Daniel Soudek, head of the office, is a fundamental human right “closely tied to the freedom and dignity of every individual,” he told Kathpress.  

Soudek emphasized that the protection of religious freedom is an essential part of societal cohesion. However, he warned of the worldwide increase in attacks on religious minorities, particularly on Christian communities, as well as many others. He underscored the necessity of his office’s work, which is situated within the Federal Chancellery.  

This year, the office introduced the International Religious Freedom Award for the first time. The award is a category within the *Intercultural Achievement Awards* presented by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Religious Freedom Award recognizes individuals or organizations advocating for religious freedom or the protection of persecuted or discriminated religious minorities. The first recipient in October was the Linz-based aid organization Initiative Christlicher Orient (ICO). The project submitted by ICO focuses on Christian schools in Lebanon where Christian and Muslim Lebanese children, along with some Syrian refugee children, are educated and grow up together.  

Missio National Director Warns Against Ignoring the Problem  

Fr. Karl Wallner, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria, warned against ignoring the issue on the occasion of  Red Wednesday: “Turning a blind eye to the dangerous situation faced by so many Christians today is perilous and could be deadly for our persecuted brothers and sisters,” Wallner said in a statement on Monday. The Missio national headquarters in Vienna will also be illuminated in red on the evening of November 20.  

Panel Discussion and Events  

On the eve of Red Wednesday, Missio Austria, Kirche in Not, and the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) hosted a panel discussion at the Missio National Directorate (Seilerstätte 12/1, 1010 Vienna) at 6 PM. Panelists included Anja Hoffmann, Executive Director of OIDAC; Tobias Pechmann, National Director of Kirche in Not; and Christoph Lehermayr, Editor-in-Chief of Missio magazine “allewelt“. They discussed the worldwide increase in Christian persecution and what political and societal measures are needed to protect Christians.  

Religious Services and Prayers  

At St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Cathedral Rector Toni Faber will lead a special Mass at 12 PM on November 20, commemorating persecuted Christians. At 7 PM, an ecumenical prayer evening will take place at St. Michael’s Church in Vienna, with representatives from various Christian communities, including Vienna’s Auxiliary Bishop Franz Scharl, Armenian-Apostolic Bishop Tiran Petrosyan, Pastor Franz Gollatz (Chair of the Free Churches in Austria), Greek-Orthodox Archpriest Ioannis Nikolitsis, Syriac Orthodox Chorepiscopus Emanuel Aydin, Anglican Reverend Patrick Curran, Missio National Director Fr. Karl Wallner, and Open Doors Austria Director Kurt Igler.  

See Also

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200 Million Christians Affected  

It is reported that over 200 million Christians are persecuted, threatened, or discriminated against in about 50 countries worldwide. Tobias Pechmann, National Director of Kirche in Not in Austria, described the participation of so many churches in Austria as a significant signal of solidarity: “This broad response across Austria is an important symbol of solidarity for countless Christians who suffer from discrimination and persecution and are often forgotten.” He emphasized the injustice of religious freedom being trampled upon for so many, with many Christians being murdered for their faith. “Red Wednesday gives them a voice,” Pechmann added. Since its inception in Austria in 2019, participation has grown from 20 churches to over 220 this year.  

Origins of “Red Wednesday”  

The *Red Wednesday* initiative originated in Brazil, where the local *Kirche in Not* office illuminated the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro in red in 2015 to protest Christian persecution in Iraq. The following year, the Italian office lit the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Since then, many other countries and Christian denominations worldwide have joined the initiative. Kirche in Not supports over 5,000 projects annually in approximately 130 countries, aiding Christians who are oppressed or lack the resources to practice their faith.  

For more information, visit [www.red-wednesday.at]

Source: http://www.kathpress.at/

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