Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
Christians remain the world's most persecuted religious community. According to Open Doors, 388 million Christians faced persecution or discrimination for their faith in 2025 — that's roughly one in seven worldwide. Yet some figures reveal an even more troubling reality.
MSGR. ETTORE BALESTRERO
Observer of the Holy See, UN (Geneva)
The number of Christians killed for their faith is worrying. In 2025, according to Open Doors, it was 5,000 faithful. This means that, on average, about 13 people die every day. Therefore, without a doubt, there are social and political factors that influence, such as the increase in conflicts, wars, and ideological extremism, which in turn manipulates and uses the religious factor.
This was what Msgr. Balestrero denounced before the UN in Geneva, and they are not just numbers. Behind them, there are families or communities. Not to mention discrimination, which the diplomat defines as "polite persecution."
MSGR. ETTORE BALESTRERO
It's a silent form, which in appearance is less violent, but which has devastating effects on the exercise of religious freedom. Since the public space to express this faith, and one's own faith is shrinking, and suffocating little by little until it disappears.
It's more common than it seems. And it can happen almost daily, although it may not be detected so easily. Take a look at these everyday cases...
MSGR. ETTORE BALESTRERO
Let us think, for example, of a believer detained for having prayed in silence near a clinic where abortions are performed. Or let us think of a teacher, an educator who is judged because, for example, he has read the Gospel to his students or has reminded them that, according to Christian doctrine, certain behaviors are not morally acceptable. Thus, polite persecution does not imprison or torture anyone, but it silences the voice, it annuls it to the point of morally and socially suffocating the person.
This is where governments and political power come into play. In a world that talks of tolerance, progress and freedom, it's Christians who are sometimes marginalised.
MSGR. ETTORE BALESTRERO
We must denounce a certain hypocrisy that is occurring, for example, with the discourse of new rights, which speaks of inclusion, speaks of progress, but which ends up marginalizing those who publicly express their Christian convictions, simply because they are opinions that do not coincide with those of the relativist majority.
They want to include everyone except Christians, so these become, in fact, second-class citizens.
You don’t have to look as far as physical violence to see this. In many parts of the world, Christians are denied essential services, blocked from building schools, and even forbidden from from publicly expressing their faith.
