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Pope Leo XIV has named Nigeria as one of several countries where Christians suffer discrimination and persecution.
The pope spoke in an X post on Sunday via his official account, stressing the need for peace as a heavenly virtue.
“In various parts of the world, Christians suffer discrimination and persecution. I think especially of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and other countries from which we frequently hear of attacks on communities and places of worship,” he wrote.
“God is a merciful Father who desires peace among all His children! I accompany in prayer the families of Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where in recent days there has been a massacre of civilians.
“Let us pray that all violence may cease and that believers may work together for the common good.”
Leo’s comments follow sustained reports of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Last month, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Pontifical foundation, launched a report listing Nigeria among 24 countries in the world where religious freedom is “seriously violated”.
“The nature of persecution varies across different contexts. In eight countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen—it results from a combination of authoritarian governance and religious extremism,” the report said.
But on the sidelines of the report’s presentation in Rome, Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, downplayed the widely posited religious angle in Nigeria’s insecurity challenge.
“We should also recognise that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance,” Parolin had said.
“These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”
His comments have ignited a fury among Catholic clergymen.
US President Donald Trump has since re-designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” (CPC) owing to the reports.
But the federal government has rejected this position, maintaining that Nigeria is a secular country.
