Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:14 am
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New poll shows anti-Christian persecution a 'very severe' global concern
New poll shows anti-Christian persecution a 'very severe' global concern
Men walk in rubble Nov. 13 near St. Mary's Catholic Church and St. Elias Orthodox Church after a bombing in Damascus, Syria. Christians in the Middle East face extinction because of genocide, wars and international indifference to their plight, said speakers at a Dec. 5 panel discussion in New York. (Credit: CNS)
NEW YORK -- According to a new poll, an increasing number of Catholics believe anti-Christian persecution is a "very severe" global concern.
Results from an annual survey conducted by the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need USA released this week reveal that 46 percent of U.S. Catholics believe the issue to be a severe concern, up from only 30 percent last year. The survey also found that 58 percent of Catholics identify as "very concerned" about the plight of Christians around the globe, also up from 41 percent last year.
Yet despite the general increase in awareness and concern, the same data reveal that most U.S. Catholics believe that attention to the issue is lacking on both the local level and national levels of the U.S. Church.
Of the 1,000 respondents surveyed by McLaughlin & Associates, only 19 percent believe that their local parish is "very involved" on the issue, a drop of 18 percent from last year's data. Another 22 percent said they were "unsure" as to the Church's involvement.
On the other end of the spectrum, only 24 percent of respondents believe that their bishop is "very engaged" on the topic, down 8 percent from last year. Another 14 percent said that their bishop is "not engaged at all."
Meanwhile, Pope Francis received high marks for his involvement, with a majority (51 percent) of respondents saying they believe he is "very engaged" with the issue, while only 14 percent said they were "unsure" of the pope's involvement.
Coincidently, the pope's selected prayer intention for the month of March this year is dedicated to new Christian martyrs.
"It might be hard for us to believe, but there are more martyrs today than in the first centuries," Francis observed in the March edition of "The Pope Video."
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Pope's March intention: pray for persecuted Christians [YouTube: 1 min]