VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has named Nigeria among several countries where Christians face discrimination and persecution, drawing renewed attention to longstanding concerns about religious freedom and violence in parts of the country.
In a message posted on X on Sunday, November 16, 2025, the pontiff urged prayers for communities suffering targeted attacks and called for peace as a universal aspiration.
“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.
He added: “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 a series of international reports documenting attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria, where armed groups, extremist factions and bandit networks have carried out widespread violence across several regions.
Last month, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Pontifical foundation, released a report listing Nigeria among 24 countries where religious freedom is “seriously violated”.
The organisation said persecution in these nations often stems from a combination of religious extremism and authoritarian governance.
“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.
However, during the report’s presentation in Rome, Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, urged caution in interpreting Nigeria’s crisis solely through a religious lens.
“We should also recognise that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance,” Parolin said.
“These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”
His remarks prompted strong reactions from some Catholic clergymen, who argue that Christian communities continue to bear a disproportionate share of targeted violence in several Nigerian states.
The issue has also attracted attention in the United States.
President Donald Trump recently re-designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” (CPC), citing what his administration described as persistent and severe violations of religious freedom.
Nigeria’s federal government has rejected this designation, maintaining that the country is secular and that its security challenges stem from criminality and extremism rather than systemic religious persecution.
