The Blood of the Martyrs

About This Event

Talk Summary: Drawing on more than 20 years visiting Christian communities in places of acute danger, John Pontifex, Head of Press & Public Affairs at the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will bring to life the stories of some of the most remarkable individuals willing and able to make the ultimate sacrifice for their faith. Looking at examples from Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq and Syria, he will show how the example of Christian heroism continues to shine out in our own times and how this can inspire and challenge our own faith. His talk comes in the run-up to #RedWednesday, the ACN initiative to shine a light on persecuted Christians and John’s talk will suggest ways we can come together to support the persecuted Church today who sorely need our help in prayer, giving and solidarity. At this talk we will also have the privilege of hearing from Tobias Yahaya, a 26-year old Catholic Catechist from northern Nigeria. One night Tobias, who is a married father of four, was lying in bed when extremists broke into his house and stabbed him in the chest. Later in hospital, the doctors found that the stab wound was inches away from major arteries, and said he was lucky to survive. The case went to court where it turned out that Tobias's attackers knew full well he was a Catechist and were bent on punishing him for witnessing to Christ. It took him three months to recover, and, having prayed about the incident with his wife and children, he says "we are determined for me to continue as a Catechist...sometimes I am afraid, but I stand on my feet because of my faith...we will do whatever it takes to share our faith." Speaker Bio: As Head of Press & Public Affairs for ACN (UK), John has been researching and writing about the situation for Christians in situations of persecution and oppression since 2002, carrying out fact-finding visits to countries including persecution hotspots past and present including Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Eritrea and Nigeria, where he went earlier this year. He is the founder and editor of ACN’s international publication Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith which has reported on Iraq in every edition since the research project was first established in 2006. He was invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre in November 2023.

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