On Sunday Pope Leo XIV again condemns the violence against Christians in Nigeria

 

The body of a victim lies on a wooden stretcher following the attack in Woro, Kwara State, on February 5.  (AFP or licensors)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Nigeria
• violence
• appeal
• terrorism

Pope condemns deadly attacks in Nigeria

At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV expresses "sorrow and concern" over the latest wave of deadly attacks in Nigeria, which have claimed dozens of lives, and expresses his hope that authorities will "continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen."

By Olivier Bonnel and Valerio Palombaro

Pope Leo has again appealed for prayers for Nigeria, which has recently suffered another spate of deadly attacks.

"It is with sorrow and concern that I learned of the recent attacks against various communities in Nigeria leading to a heavy loss of life," the Pope said, speaking on Sunday after reciting the noonday Angelus.. 

On the evening of 3 February, at least 160 people were killed in the village of Woro, in the country’s central-west region.

"I express my prayerful closeness to all the victims of violence and terrorism," the Pope added. "I likewise hope that the competent Authorities will continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen."

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE POPE'S ADDRESS HERE

A new round of abductions

At least 51 people have also been abducted and six killed over the past three days during attacks on four different villages in Kaduna State. According to Nigerian security sources cited by AFP, the attacks took place in the southern part of Kaduna State, a predominantly Christian area, where more than 180 people were abducted in January before being released in the past few days. 

Attack on the Catholic community of Karku

Armed men abducted 11 people, including a priest, and killed three others in the Kajuru local government area. The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan confirmed the abduction of a priest, Father Nathaniel Asuwaye, parish priest of Holy Trinity Church in Karku, in the Kajuru area. According to a statement from the archdiocese, the attack occurred around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning at his residence and also resulted in the deaths of three people, in what witnesses described as “an invasion by a group of terrorists.”

In response to the surge in violence—ranging from attacks by jihadist groups such as Boko Haram to raids by armed gangs—the federal government has deployed an army battalion to the Kaiama district on the orders of President Bola Tinubu. 

In addition to Nigeria, the Pope also prayed on Sunday for victims of human trafficking and for those affected by floods and landslides in Spain, Morocco, Portugal and Sicily.

In 2025, 17 Catholic missionaries were killed including 10 Priests

 

Church

• Africa
• Pontifical Mission Societies
• religious
• priests
• seminarians
• Nigeria
• martyrs
• violence

Seventeen Catholic missionaries killed in 2025, 10 of them in Africa

The Vatican's Fides News Agency releases its annual report on missionaries and pastoral workers killed in the last year, recording 17 deaths across the globe, with the African continent, and Nigeria especially, the most affected.

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Seventeen missionaries were killed across the globe in 2025, 10 of whom died in Africa, five of which in Nigeria, according to the Fides News Agency, a service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

As the year draws to a close, and with it the Jubilee of Hope, Fides released its annual report on December 30, reporting the deaths of missionaries and pastoral workers across the world.

Every year, Fides highlights the stories of priests, religious, seminarians, and laypeople who dedicate their lives to serving Christ and the Church, often in contexts marked by violence, poverty, and injustice.

According to the 2025 report, 10 priests, 2 seminarians, 2 catechists, 2 religious sisters, and 1 layman lost their lives. This year marked an increase in deaths compared to 2024, when 14 missionaries were killed. From 2000 to 2025, Fides has accounted for the deaths of 626 missionaries or pastoral workers.  

The 2025 report underlines that it takes into account a broad definition of 'missionaries,' saying it includes all Catholics who are involved in some way in pastoral activities and are killed in violent circumstances, whether or not their deaths met the strict criteria for martyrdom.

Many Catholic deaths in Africa and Nigeria

The African continent remains one of the most dangerous continents for missionary work, with 10 deaths in 2025.

Of these, 6 of those killed were priests, 2 were seminarians, and 2 were catechists. The countries affected were Burkina Faso, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Nigeria, which account for half of the deaths.

In an interview with Fides, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who is Nigerian, said, “All of this is a source of profound sadness” and “also a bit of shame.”

“Nigeria is one of the countries with the most religious population in the world: a nation of believers, Christians, and Muslims. We all claim to be people of peace,” he insisted.

The Archbishop said he hopes to see the Muslim population also “denounce and reject the use of their religion to commit acts of violence.”

“We must all reject any justification for using religion to perpetrate violent acts, even to the point of taking people's lives,” he continued.

In the interview, Archbishop Nwachukwu highlighted that these Christians did not die trying to be heroes but were struck by violence in their daily lives, such as in seminaries or schools.

He emphasized that the Nigerian government should do more to defend and protect innocent people and improve the security situation in the country.

Other continents affected

The Fides report mentions how another continent which has often topped this “tragic ranking” in the past is the Americas.

After Africa, it is the region most affected this year, with 4 missionaries being killed in 2025, 2 priests in Mexico and the United States, and 2 religious sisters in Haiti.

In Asia, one priest in Myanmar and one layman, a teacher in the Philippines, lost their lives. Lastly, in Europe, one priest was killed in Poland.

Killed while serving the Church  

Among the stories underlined by Fides is that of the young Nigerian seminarian, Emmanuel Alabi, who died in July during a forced march imposed on him by his kidnappers, who had attacked the minor seminary in Ivianokpodi and wounded him.

They also mention the story of religious sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire, both of whom belonged to the Little Sisters of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who murdered in March by armed gang members in Haiti.

Lastly, Fides highlights Father Donald Martin, the first Burmese Catholic priest killed in the conflict that has plagued Myanmar. His lifeless and mutilated body was found in February by several of his parishioners in the church complex. 

The latest update on the Nigerian Catholic school kidnapping

 

Fifty kidnapped Catholic school students in Nigeria escape

By Ahmed Kingimi

November 24, 2025

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Fifty of the more than 300 students kidnapped from a Nigerian Catholic school last week have escaped and have been reunited with their parents, the Catholic Church and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Sunday.

But around 253 of the kidnapped children, along with 12 staff members and teachers, are still with the kidnappers, said CAN Chairman Bulus Yohanna, a Catholic Bishop who is also the proprietor of the school.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

In a statement, Yohanna said the pupils escaped on Friday and Saturday. Parents rushed to the school in Niger state, to the west of the capital Abuja, after hearing that some children were free.

Amose Ibrahim was one of the parents who went to St. Mary's school to check if any of his three children had escaped.

"Unfortunately, they were not among the escapees," Ibrahim, whose youngest child is six years old, told Reuters by phone. "As of now, many parents and their loved ones are roaming around the school."

PRESIDENT ORDERS HIRING OF MORE POLICE

President Bola Tinubu ordered the hiring of 30,000 more police officers at a meeting with security chiefs on Sunday. He directed the removal of all police from VIP protection services to focus on core duties, especially in remote areas prone to attacks.

Nigeria faces scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.

Gunmen kidnapped students and teachers from the school on Friday, the latest in a spate of school attacks that has forced some northern states to shut schools. The government also ordered the closure of 47 colleges in the north.

POPE LEO PLEADS FOR RELEASE OF CAPTIVES

In response to the kidnappings, Pope Leo pleaded on Sunday for the immediate release of those who had been taken in one of the worst mass kidnappings ever recorded in Nigeria.

"I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages," the Pope said at the end of a mass in St. Peter's Square in Rome.

In a separate incident, Tinubu said Nigerian security forces on Sunday rescued 38 people who were abducted during a service at Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara state. At least two people died during the attack.

At today's Angelus Address, Pope Leo XIV calls for hostages' release, prayers for the Ukrainian faithful

 

Open lockers and scattered belongings inside a student dormitory in St Mary's School 

Pope

• Nigeria
• Cameroon
• Pope Leo XIV
• violence

Pope Leo calls for the release of hostages in Nigeria and Cameroon

After Mass on the Solemnity of Christ the King in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo makes a heartfelt appeal for the release of students and priests kidnapped in recent days in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Read also

22/11/2025

Over 300 students kidnapped from Catholic school in Nigeria

By Vatican News

Pope Leo has expressed his “immense sadness” over the recent kidnappings of priests, students and members of the Christian faithful in Nigeria and Cameroon and urged authorities to ensure their liberation.

Some 315 students and teachers were kidnapped on Friday at the St Mary High School in Nigeria’s Niger state.

That same week, in Ndop, Cameroon, six Catholic priests from the Archdiocese of Bamenda were kidnapped. In addition, in the municipality of Jakiri, in the nearby Bui division, a Baptist pastor was abducted.

Speaking after Mass on Sunday in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said he had “learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon.”

“I feel deep sorrow”, the Pope said, “especially for the many boys and girls who have been abducted, and for their anguished families. I make a heartfelt appeal that the hostages be immediately released, and I urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their liberation.”

Finally, the Pope invited everyone to pray that churches schools might never be the target of violence: “Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”

Read also

23/11/2025

Pope Leo issues Apostolic Letter 'In unitate fidei' on Nicaea Anniversary

Ukraine, Türkiye, Lebanon

Before reciting the noonday Angelus prayer, Pope Leo also greeted the Ukrainian faithful present for the Mass, urging them to “take home the embrace and prayers of this square”.

The Pope also mentioned his upcoming Apostolic Journey, the first of his pontificate, to Türkiye and Lebanon. He will leave for Türkiye on Thursday, 27 November, part of the celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, today's Iznik.

In this regard, the Pope cited the publication of his Apostolic Letter ‘In Unitate Fidei,’ dedicated to Christian unity and 325AD Nicene Creed, announcing its publication today.

Cardinal Parolin expresses hope for peace in Gaza and in Nigeria

 

File photo of Cardinal Pietro Parolin  (ANSA)

Vatican

• Pietro Parolin
• Middle East
• religious freedom
• Nigeria
• religious persecution

Cardinal Parolin: Holy See is full of hope for success of peace plan for Gaza

Speaking to journalists at the launch of Aid to the Church in Need's Religious Freedom Report, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin decries the violence in the Middle East, attacks on Christians, and the intimidation of the free press.

By Vatican News

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has expressed the Holy See’s concern over the renewed violence in Gaza, but said the Vatican remains “full of hope” that the proposed peace plan can still work.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the official presentation of the latest edition of the Report on Religious Freedom in the World, compiled by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Speaking to journalists outside the Pontifical Augustinian Institute, Cardinal Parolin was asked about the mistreatment of Christians in the West Bank—particularly in the village of Taybeh—by Israeli settlers.

“This is certainly a very complex issue,” he said, “but we fail to understand why these Christians, who are simply living their normal lives, should be subjected to such hostility.”

“To speak of persecution is slightly problematic,” he added, “but certainly these are situations we cannot accept.”

Violence against Christians in Nigeria

Turning to Africa and the surge of hatred and violence affecting Christians in parts of Nigeria, Cardinal Parolin—citing local sources—stressed that the situation there is "not a religious conflict, but rather more a social one, for example, disputes between herders and farmers.

“We should also recognize that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance,” he noted. “These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”

Intimidation of the Free Press

Reflecting more broadly on religious freedom, Cardinal Parolin also expressed deep concern about recent acts of intimidation against the free press.

He was referring to last Thursday’s attack on the journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, host of the Italian investigative program Report, when an explosive device was detonated outside his home.

Offering his solidarity to Mr. Ranucci, Cardinal Parolin warned: “We are increasingly at risk of living in a climate of intolerance, where freedom of expression is no longer respected.”

“We want everyone to be able to express their views with respect and objectivity,” he said, “but we also want people to be free to express themselves without being subjected to these types of threats.”

Pope Leo XIV mentions several prayer intentions after today's Angelus Address

 

Residents of Gauraka, in Nigeria's Niger state, protest against kidnappings and killings (From 2021)  (AFP or licensors)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Nigeria
• Sudan
• Myanmar
• Iran
• Israel
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Ukraine

Pope prays for victims of ‘terrible massacre’ in Benue State, Nigeria

At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo prays for victims of conflicts in Nigeria, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and the Middle East.

By Joseph Tulloch

Pope Leo prayed on Sunday for the victims of a “terrible massacre” in Benue State, Nigeria.

Around 200 people were “brutally killed” in Yelwata, in the Guma Local Government Area on the night of the 13th/14th June – most of them internally displaced persons “sheltered by the local Catholic mission”.

Speaking just before delivering the Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope prayed for “security, justice, and peace” in Nigeria, adding that he was thinking in particular of the “rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence”.

Responding to the attack, Amnesty International Nigeria on Saturday called on Nigerian authorities to “immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice”.

Read also

14/06/2025

Pope appeals for 'responsibility and reason' in Iran-Israel escalation

Sudan

The Pope’s thoughts then turned to Sudan, which has been in the grip of a civil war for over two years.

Pope Leo said he had been informed of the death of the Rev. Luke Jumu, parish priest of El Fasher in the country’s southwest, who is reported to have been killed in a recent bombing.

“While I offer my prayers for him and for all the victims,” the Pope said, “I renew my appeal to the combatants to stop, to protect civilians, and to embark on a path of dialogue for peace.” He then urged the international community to “intensify” its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to a population which is “severely affected” by the ongoing crisis.

Pope Leo also extended his prayers for peace to the Middle East – where a major conflict has broken out between Israel and Iran – and also to Ukraine and Myanmar.

Noting that conflict has continued in Myanmar despite the recent temporary ceasefire, the Pope called for combatants to take “the path of inclusive dialogue” – the only one, he said, “that can lead to a peaceful and stable resolution”.

Floribert Bwana Chui

Following his appeals for peace, Pope Leo turned to Floribert Bwana Chui, a young border guard from the Democratic Republic of Congo martyred in 2007 for refusing to allow a shipment of spoiled rice, which would have endangered the public health, into the country.

Chui was killed, the Pope said, because, “as a Christian, he opposed injustice and defended the little ones and the poor.”

Pointing out that Chui will be beatified later today, the Pope expressed his hope that Chui's example might “give courage and hope to the youth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and of all Africa”.

Read also

15/06/2025

Pope Leo on Jubilee of Sport: No one is born a champion or saint

Sport as a 'path to peace'

The Pope’s words came at the conclusion of the Mass for the Jubilee of Sport.

Before his appeals for peace, he had greeted pilgrims who had came to Rome for the Jubilee, describing them as “athletes of every age and from every background”.

Pope Leo said he wanted to emphasise that sport is “a school of respect and fairness” and therefore “a path to peace, … encounter, and fraternity”.