From Nigeria to Belarus, 2025 marks a grim year for religious freedom

Paulina Guzik, Catholic Review

Friday, December 12, 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, the plight of persecuted Christians around the world remains dire — and in many places, deeply forgotten. The year has exposed how fragile religious freedom is, even as the faithful strive to survive with courage, hope and community. Church leaders like Regina Lynch, executive director of Aid to the Church in Need pontifical charity, warn that “there are more cases, there are more countries where religious freedom doesn’t exist or. . .is being eaten away.”