The study, conducted by Aid to the Church in Need, concludes that in 1 in 3 countries there are serious violations of religious freedom.
ACN – The Religious Freedom Report 2023 is a study published by the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need. It is the only study that analyzes the state of this fundamental right in all countries, for all faiths and carried out by a non-governmental organization. It was recently presented at the headquarters of ACN Spain by Marcela Szymanski, its editor-in-chief, who answers the following questions.
Why is religious freedom important?
It is the fundamental right for the development of human conscience. That is why it is called the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It is one of the few human rights that are enunciated in such detail in a single right.
What does Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World Report reveal?
In this edition we have noted an increase in oppression by authoritarian governments and other types of autocrats who set themselves up because they have guns and money. This has left billions of people defenseless in the face of continued attacks. We have also seen evidence that there is an increased level of impunity given to these perpetrators by the West.
What is happening in Africa with regard to religious freedom?
We have often heard that Africa is the continent of hope for spirituality and especially for the Christian faith. The bad thing is that this is also well known to jihadist groups. This is the biggest problem they are suffering, especially Christians. It is a bloody, bloody persecution and there is no hope that this will abate in the coming years.
Nicaragua is also another country highlighted in this Religious Freedom Report, why?
Because the government of Daniel Ortega has definitely launched a crackdown on the Catholic Church as it was preventing him from getting his way. People were looking for protection in the institutions of the Catholic Church, and that is why this dictator has decided that the best thing to do is to get rid of this center of convocation that was giving him competition. The support that this dictator has comes from great international powers that have a geopolitical interest because Nicaragua has coasts between two oceans.
What are the figures that describe the situation of religious freedom worldwide?
What we have compiled is really very impressive. Sixty-two percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious freedom is seriously violated. But there is something even more serious, and that is that the number of attacks and violations against this fundamental right has increased. The frequency of these attacks has been increasing, with total impunity. The rest of the world that respects human rights has done little or nothing to denounce and try to stop these attacks.