by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
WARSAW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Poland will mark the 17th annual Day of Solidarity with the Persecuted Church on Sunday, November 9, dedicating this year’s observance to Nigeria, where being a Christian often means risking one’s life.
Organized by the Polish branch of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) — known locally as Pomoc Kościołowi w Potrzebie (PKWP) — the nationwide initiative carries the theme “Let us be the voice of the persecuted in Nigeria.” It calls on Polish believers to pray, speak out, and provide material support for victims of anti-Christian violence.
With a population exceeding 220 million, Nigeria remains one of the world’s most dangerous countries for Christians, according to ACN and advocacy group Open Doors.
Between January 2023 and July 2025, at least 7,000 Christians were killed and 7,800 abducted, according to PKWP data based on local Church reports. Thousands of churches, schools, and rectories have been destroyed by militant groups in the country’s Middle Belt and northern regions.
The initiative highlights the plight of believers in states such as Kaduna and Plateau, where Christian villages have faced ongoing assaults by Islamist militants and armed Fulani herdsmen.
NATIONWIDE COMMEMORATIONS
Commemorations began on November 2 with a special Mass for persecuted Christians at Warsaw’s Basilica of the Holy Cross, followed by additional liturgies in Kraków, Jasna Góra, and other pilgrimage sites.
On November 9, churches across Poland, a heavily Catholic nation, will hold special prayers and parish collections to fund ACN projects in Nigeria, organizers said.
The funds will support the reconstruction of destroyed churches, training of clergy and catechists, and psychological and spiritual care for trauma victims.
PKWP’s press office said these efforts are intended to “bring hope to communities who have lost everything.”
‘PRAYER AND PEACE’
ACN-Poland Director Father Waldemar Cisło said the campaign reminds Polish Catholics that solidarity with persecuted Christians is both “a spiritual duty and a witness of faith.”
“Their blood cries out for prayer and peace,” the priest said. “When we raise our voices for them, we show that the Body of Christ is one.”
The event, endorsed by the Polish Bishops’ Conference, has become one of the country’s largest annual initiatives for global religious freedom. Since its inception in 2009, it has focused on countries such as Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, and Ukraine.
The focus on Nigeria follows growing international alarm over jihadist and communal violence in Africa’s most populous nation.
FAITH AND ACTION
Aid agencies say tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in the past decade by Islamist militants, including Boko Haram, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani extremists, who often target pastors and congregations.
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List ranks Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous country for Christians, noting that nearly 70 percent of all Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year were Nigerian believers.
As Polish parishes prepare for Sunday’s prayers, ACN officials say the message is clear: faith must translate into action.
“We cannot remain indifferent,” said ACN-Poland in a statement. “To be the voice of persecuted Christians in Nigeria is to stand up for justice, truth, and the dignity of every believer.”
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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