Source: Aid to the Church in Need
25th January 2010 –
25th January 2010 –
by John Newton
A multi media website was launched on Monday, 25th January to highlight the plight of Christians who suffer for their faith. The website Where God Weeps has been produced by Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN) in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need. The new multi-media website complements CRTN’s Where God Weeps television and radio series on persecuted Christians, which are broadcast by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). The Where God Weeps website draws on a number of sources including Aid to the Church in Need’s report on the persecution of Christians, Persecuted and Forgotten and interviews with cardinals, bishops, priests, missionaries and lay experts – those who live and work daily in areas of persecution around the world. The central element of the website is a monthly focus on particular countries where Christians endure persecution, featuring a 12-minute documentary, key statistics, political and social facts and an interview with a leading Church figure, such as a bishop or a religious superior. Mark Riedemann, director of CRTN, said: “The media platform provides an important opportunity for people wanting to find out more about the suffering Church and how they get involved.” He stressed the importance of the launch date – the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul (25th January) – saying that the Apostle’s transformation from persecutor of Christians to champion of their cause “points to the essence” of the website’s aims and objectives. In addition to the online documentaries and interviews, the website also includes breaking news pages and a ‘how to help’ section featuring projects supported by Aid to the Church in Need. Mr Riedemann said the website aims to reflect strong evidence that the persecution of Christians had increased. He made reference to a December 2009 study by the Pew Research Centre’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, which concluded that nearly 70 percent of the world’s 6.8 billion people live in countries with high or very high restrictions on religion. Complementary information provided by organisations such as the International Christian Concern and the Christian Solidarity Worldwide indicates that Christians are persecuted more than any other religious group. In some countries persecution now threatens the survival of the Church. Mr Riedemann said this growing persecution of Christians contravenes article 18 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees “the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion”.