The warning coincided with the US designating Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) due to claims of Christian genocide in the nation. Nigeria has been heavily criticized for how it has responded to attacks on towns that are predominantly Christian.
Last month, US President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Department of War to get ready for potential action and threatened severe military and diplomatic repercussions if the violence continued. Any intervention, he emphasized, would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
Nonetheless, the Pontiff expressed his worries on his official X account, denouncing frequent attacks on Christian neighborhoods and places of worship and urging international cooperation to advance peace.
He said: “Christians face prejudice and persecution in many parts of the world. I particularly consider Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and other nations where attacks on communities and houses of worship are regularly reported.
Additionally, Pope Leo offered sincere prayers to victims of recent violence, especially families in the DRC’s Kivu region, where many civilians were ruthlessly murdered.
“God is a merciful Father who desires peace among all His children,” he said. I join the families of Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a massacre of civilians has occurred recently, in prayer. “Let us pray for the end of all violence and for believers to cooperate for the common good.”
