From Nigeria to Mozambique, Sudan and Congo to Burkina Faso, Christians across Africa were victims of horrific persecution in 2024, mainly because of their faith.
Across regions where armies recently fought deadly battles, a Catholic bishop in South Sudan embarked on a long and grueling trek to meet the pope. Bishop Christian Carlassare of Rumbek is walking for nearly 93 miles of the 260 that separate his diocese in the center of the country and the capital city of Juba. The 46-year-old member of the Comboni missionaries started the walk in the company of 80 youth on Jan. 25. In what is called the Ecumenical Pilgrimage of Peace Feb. 3-5, Pope Francis will visit South Sudan’s capital, Juba, in the presence of Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and the Rev. Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The apostolic trip will follow a stop in Congo, where Pope Francis landed on Jan. 31.