130 Kidnapped Catholic Schoolchildren and Staff Released in Nigeria before Christmas

130 Kidnapped Catholic Schoolchildren and Staff Released in Nigeria before Christmas

Nigerian authorities confirmed Monday that every remaining 130 student and staff member taken during a mass kidnapping at a Catholic school in the country’s north has now been released. The abduction occurred before dawn on Nov. 21, when gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri community of Niger state, seizing children and staff before fleeing, according to police and church sources.
  • York St John University Allows Controversial LGBTQ Nativity Play
    York St John University is facing criticism from Christian students and observers after permitting a controversial Nativity-themed stage production that some allege discriminates against Christianity under the banner of artistic expression. The production, titled “A Gay in a Manger,” was developed by the university’s LGBTQ network and reimagines the Nativity story with overtly sexualized and politicized elements.
  • Advocates Warn of Possible ‘Christmas Massacre’ Against Nigerian Christians
    A religious freedom advocate is sounding the alarm over what he describes as credible intelligence pointing to a possible new wave of mass violence against Christians in Nigeria around Christmas, warning that the scale could rival or exceed previous atrocities. The warning was issued during an Emergency Summit on Crimes Against Christians held at the U.S. Capitol last Tuesday.

Five Men Arrested in Germany Over Alleged Islamist Plot Targeting Christmas Market

Authorities in Germany have detained five men accused of preparing an Islamist-inspired vehicle assault on a Christmas market in the country’s south, a plot officials say was intended to cause mass casualties. According to the BBC, the suspects — three Moroccan nationals, an Egyptian citizen, and a Syrian man — were taken into custody on Friday for allegedly conspiring to drive a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in the Dingolfing-Landau region of Bavaria.
  • Christians Across India Unite in Delhi to Condemn Escalating Violence and Persecution
    Around 2,000 Christians from across India gathered in New Delhi to protest what they describe as rising, sustained and systematic violence against their minority community. Representing more than 200 denominations, civil society organizations and legal advocacy groups, the participants assembled on Nov. 29 under the banner of the National Christian Convention, reaffirming their commitment to the Indian Constitution and calling for unity, justice and hope.
  • 8 Colombian Christian Leaders Executed by Armed Men; Authorities Charge FARC Dissident
    Newly uncovered video footage appears to show eight Christian leaders being transported by armed men along a Colombian river shortly before they were executed and buried in a mass grave. The footage was recovered from the mobile phone of an alleged dissident of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who is now facing charges related to the killings.
  • Canadian Lawmakers Move to Remove Religious Protections from Hate Speech Laws
    Canadian lawmakers appear poised to eliminate longstanding religious protections from the nation’s hate speech statutes. A shift that critics warn could expose Christians to prosecution for expressing biblical views on marriage, sexuality, and other faith-based beliefs.
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  • Jordan Raising $100M to Recreate Biblical-Era Village Near Jesus’ Baptism Site

    Jordan is stepping up preparations for 2030—the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ baptism—as it prepares to welcome pilgrims to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the UNESCO-recognized site revered as the place where John baptized Christ and where His public ministry began.

  • 50 Nigerian Schoolchildren Escape Catholic School Abduction, but 265 Remain Missing

    Fifty Nigerian schoolchildren who were kidnapped last week during an attack on a Catholic school in Niger state have managed to flee captivity and return home, according to school officials. Another 253 children and 12 teachers are still unaccounted for in what authorities describe as one of the largest mass abductions in the country’s recent history.

  • UK Street Preacher Acquitted After Facing Charges Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Remarks

    A Christian street preacher in the United Kingdom who faced accusations of making anti-Muslim comments during a public sermon has been found not guilty. A jury at Swindon Crown Court in southwest England delivered the verdict after hearing of testimony and argument. Shaun O’Sullivan, 36, had been charged with religiously aggravated intentional harassment.

  • CofE Warns Hundreds of Historic Churches at Risk Without VAT Support

    The Church of England is pressing the Labour government to secure long-term funding for a major tax relief program, cautioning that hundreds of historic churches could deteriorate or close if the policy is allowed to lapse. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme—created to reimburse churches, mosques, and synagogues for value-added tax (VAT) paid on building repairs—is scheduled to end in March 2026 unless renewed.

  • India’s Supreme Court Reviews Challenge to Rajasthan’s New Anti-Conversion Law

    India’s Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government regarding a new petition contesting the state’s controversial anti-conversion law, which permits authorities to confiscate property and demolish homes based solely on allegations of forced religious conversion. Earlier challenges this month focused on provisions allowing officials to carry out demolitions and seize property; however, the latest petition disputes the law’s definitions of “conversion,” “allurement,” “force,” “co

  • China Arrests 18 Zion Church Leaders in Widening Crackdown on House Churches

    Authorities in China have detained leaders of a prominent house church on charges of “illegally using information networks,” a move observers say is part of a broader effort by the Chinese Communist Party to suppress unregistered Christian communities. The arrests took place at Zion Church in Beihai, Guangxi Province, where Senior Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was among the 18 church members taken into custody.

  • Violence Against Christians and Churches Surges Across Europe, Report Warns

    A new study released Monday by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) finds that violent attacks, threats, and arson against Christians and churches rose sharply in 2024. According to the data, physical violence against Christians increased from 232 incidents in 2023 to 274 in 2024.

  • Dozens Killed as ISIS-Linked Militants Attack Hospital, Targeting Nursing Mothers and Newborns

    A brutal overnight attack on a Catholic-run maternity ward in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left roughly 20 people dead, including breastfeeding mothers and their infants, according to local authorities. Officials have attributed the massacre to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist-affiliated rebel faction linked to the Islamic State.
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