January 16th 2026_Catholic Standard

Friday, January 16th 2026  Established 1905  27 Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown, Guyana  Year 121, No. 2

800th anniversary of St Francis’ death

(OSV News) Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, issued a decree published by the Franciscan Friars Jan. 10, declaring a yearlong celebration in honor of the Poverello, or the Little Poor One. According to the decree, Pope Leo has established that from Jan. 10, following the closing of the church’s Jubilee Year, until Jan. 10, 2027, a special Year of St. Francis may be proclaimed, in which every Christian, “following the example of the Saint of Assisi, may himself become a model of holiness of life anda constant witness of peace.” (please turn to page 10)

Week of Prayer for Christian

for Christian Unity takes place from Sunday January 18 to Sun. Jan. 25.

The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for 2026: One hope, one calling' - comes from Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling" (Eph. 4:4).

In a world with diverse and often divided traditions and expressions of Christian faith, Ephesians 4:4 reminds us that all believers are part of the "one body" of Christ. "Let us embrace this divine calling to unity, not as an abstract ideal but as a vital expression of our faith," invites the theme of this year. "By living in unity, we not

only witness to the love and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also embody the essence of His teachings."

For the year 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity were prepared by the Inter-Church Relations Department of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. The resources are jointly published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Enabling millions of Christians around the world to join the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, its resources are available also on the Bible App by YouVersion, offering a

daily Bible reading plan, prayers, and questions for reflection for the eight days from 18 to 25 January.

"In many corners of our world, hope is fast fading in the face of unprecedented suffering," notes Rev Dr Mikie Roberts, WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life and Faith and Order. "It is in such times that our collective payers for Christian unity can serve as a beacon of hope to many. When Christians are united in prayer, we also acknowledge the oneness in our calling to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ."

Besides the translations offered by organizers in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic, churches are invited to translate the text in additional languages and contextualize or adapt it for their own use.

Mindful of the need for flexibility, organizers of the Week of Prayer invite everyone to use this material to pray together for the unity among churches throughout the year. ❖

For more information and resourcessee: www.oikoumene.org/ resources/week-of-prayer-forchristian-unity

Diocesan Youth Coordinator appointed - p2

PrayerfortheWeekofPrayerforChristianUnity-p2

For Pope Leo XIV, Christian unity is not just an ideal, but an imperative - p2

Popewarnsdiplomatsofrisingglobalviolence - p3

Pope delivers fierce defence of the unborn - p3

A Christian Perspective on Social Issues - p4

Sunday Scripture - p5

Vatican completes official mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV for papal basilica - p6

Pope’s January prayer intention: For prayer with the Word of God - p7

Bicentenary and Centenary of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - p8

Children’s Page - p9

God speaks to the faithful; take time to listen every day, pope says - p11

Survivors praise pope’s words that not welcoming abuse victims is ‘scandal’ - p12

More than 388 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution - p13

South Rupununi Church leaders meet - p14

Bishop’s Engagements

Sunday January 18th

08:00hrs–MassatSacredHeart,MainStreet 09:30hrs – Retreat for Implementation of Synod Team

17:00hrs – Mass at the Cathedral of the ImmaculateConception,Brickdam

Tuesday January20th

16:00hrs – Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting.

For Pope Leo XIV, Christian unity is not just an ideal, but an imperative

JANUARY 18 - 25

Prayer for the Week

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling. (Ephesians 4:4) Come, Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of all believers. You, our God, are the source of perfect unity, perfect love and perfect joy. We adore and praise you because your overwhelming love for your creation invites us into mystical unity with you and with all who believe. Help us to use this gift to announce the gospel to all the world. May we bear witness to the resurrection and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a way as to be a light to the nations.

Give us, Almighty God, the seven “unities” of the Church: one Spirit, one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; and one God and Father (Ephesians 4:4-6), that your Church may continue to walk in her pilgrimage towards complete unity with you, even as we reconcile with one another. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ages unto ages.

Amen

Pope Leo XIV joins Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and other Christian leaders for an ecumenical prayer service in Iznik, Turkey, Nov. 28, 2025. The gathering marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 A.D., which produced the Nicene Creed and defined foundational Christian doctrine. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

(OSV News) As the Catholic Church prepares to join Christians around the world in commemorating the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the theme chosen also reflects Pope Leo XIV’s hope of unified humanity in an increasingly individualistic world.

“There is one body and one Spirit,” drawn from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, is the theme.

Unity is ‘a divine mandate’ Unity is “more than simply an ideal,” but a “divine mandate at the core of our Christian identity,” according to resource materials for the week published by the Vatican.

“It represents the essence of the Church’s calling a call to reflect the harmonious oneness of our life in Christ amidst our diversity,” the materials stated. “This divine unity is central to our mission and is sustained by the profound love of Jesus Christ, who has set before us a unified purpose.”

The material for the Jan. 18-25 octave of prayer, which was published on the website of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, was prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as members of the Armenian Catholic Church, and evangelical churches.

‘One body and one Spirit’

The full theme chosen for the week of prayer reads, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,” which “encapsulates the theological depth of Christian unity,” the materials said.

The theological vision of Christian unity has also been a recurring theme since the start of Pope Leo’s pontificate, starting with his motto: “In Illo uno unum” (“In the One, we are one.”)

During his return flight from Lebanon Dec. 2, Pope Leo noted that although his motto is a Christ-centric hope for

30 visit to Archbishop Sahak II Mashalian, the Armenian Apostolic patriarch of Constantinople, in Istanbul.

‘An exchange of gifts’

Reflecting on the Nicene Creed, Pope Leo said unity must take the form of “a communion which does not imply absorption or domination, but rather an exchange of the gifts received by our Churches from the Holy Spirit.”

When Christians gather to pray as one during the week of prayer, its theme, the witness of Armenian Christians and Pope Leo’s vision for unity all converge on a central message that Christians are called not only to reflect on unity, but to live it.

unity, that hope is not limited to just Christians, but an invitation “to all of us and to others” to promote “authentic unity and understanding, respect and human relationships of friendship and dialogue in the world.”

Must find ways to ‘come together’

For the pope, true and sincere unity increases the hope that “we will put aside the arms of war, that we will leave aside the distrust, the hatred, the animosity that has so often been built up, and that we will find ways to come together and be able to promote authentic peace and justice throughout the world.”

Pope Leo also told journalists aboard the papal flight that his first apostolic visit to Turkey and Lebanon, which commemorated the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, was “organized thinking about ecumenical affairs” “seeking unity in the Church.”

During his visit, the pope signed a joint declaration with Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, which stressed that unity could not be reduced to mere agreements.

‘A gift that comes from on high’

Diocesan Youth appointed

Christian unity, the declaration stated, “is not merely the result of human efforts, but a gift that comes from on high.” It went on to call all Christians to earnestly seek “the fulfilment of the prayer that Jesus Christ addressed to the Father: ‘that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you so that the world may believe.'”

The choice of the Armenian Apostolic Church in preparing the resource materials for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, was notable given the pope’s admiration for the suffering endured by the people of Armenia, which he expressed during his Nov.

Diocesan Youth Coordinator Mrs. Angela Abraham-Parks

The Diocese is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Angela Abraham-Parks as Diocesan Youth Coordinator, effective January 12, 2026.

We join in wishing her every success and God’s continued guidance as we work together to strengthen and build youth ministry across the Diocese.

In the coming week, the appointment of a Diocesan Youth Commission will further support and advance this important mission.❖`

Pope warns diplomats of rising global violence

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV warned diplomats of rising global volatility, fractured communication and a growing disregard for human life in his annual speech to representatives to the Holy See.

Speaking to representatives of the 184 countries that have full diplomatic relations with the Vatican, the pope expressed concern over a “weak” global approach and action among countries on certain issues, saying that “war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.”

Pope expresses concerns over war, violence

Peace is being sought through weapons, threatening the rule of law and therefore the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence, he said in the Jan. 9 speech at the Hall of Benedictions at the Vatican.

He expressed concern about religious freedom being curtailed around the world. Aid to the Church in Need, an international Catholic aid organization, released its “Religious Freedom in the World Report” last year, concluding that 64.7% of the world’s population lives in countries with “serious or very serious violations of religious freedom.”

He cited deadly attacks on Christian communities in Africa and the Middle East, while also warning of less visible discrimination in Europeand theAmericas

Life issues feature in pope’s speech to diplomats

He briefly spoke about the importance of treating migrants with human dignity, an issue he has been vocal about for months, before focusing his final

exploits the origin of life and its development.”

The pope reiterated the Church’s stance on abortion, including a deep concern about projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility for the purpose of accessing the so-called “right to safe abortion.”

“It also considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life, rather than being invested to support mothers and families,” he said.

He also spoke out against surrogacy.

“By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family,” he said.

Pope suggest clear, direct language for dialogue

In this speech and throughout the year, the pope has spoken out on ongoing international strife, including the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conflict and

the U.S. military operation to capture s conflicts, he we cannot ignore that the destruction of hospitals, energy infrastructure, homes and places essential to daily life constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

He pointed to the United Nations as a counterbalance to this trend, saying that it is the center of international cooperation that defends humanitarian rights and mediates conflict.

But, he said, one of the greatest current challenges to dialogue as a way to address conflicts is the loss of a shared understanding of language.

“Today, the meaning of words is ever more fluid and the concepts they represent are increasingly ambiguous,” he said. “Language is no longer the preferred means by which human beings come to know and encounter one another.”

He said that the “contortions of semantic ambiguity” are becoming “more and more a weapon with which to deceive or to strike and offend opponents.” He suggested clearer, more direct language be used throughout

the home, politics and the media to address these misunderstandings and to avoid conflict on a greater scale.

Freedom of expression shrinking, human rights impacted

He went on to say that efforts to loosen or blur the meaning of words are often defended as protecting free expression, but in fact undermine it.

“It is painful to see how, especially in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking,” he said. “At the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fueling it.”

When moral or linguistic boundaries are weakened, he said, it doesn’t stop at speech, but rather it spills over into limits on basic human rights and an individual’s ability to act according to their moral and religious beliefs.

“This may be the refusal of military service in the name of non-violence or the refusal on the part of doctors and health care professionals to engage in practices such as abortion or euthanasia,” he said.

The pope said if a society forces moral uniformity, it risks sliding toward authoritarianism.

Pope Leo closed by saying that despite conflict found around the world, there is no shortage of signs for courage and pointed to St. Francis of Assisi.

“His life shines brightly, for it was inspired by the courage to live in truth,” he said, “and the knowledge that a peaceful world is built starting with humble hearts turned toward the heavenly city.”❖

unborn in address to diplomatic corps

ROME (OSV News) Pope Leo XIV strongly defended the family, marriage and unborn life during his first-ever New Year’s address to the diplomatic corps Jan. 9, telling the diplomats accredited to the Holy See that abortion “cuts short a growing life and refuses to welcome the gift of life.”

“The vocation to love and to life,” he continued, “manifests itself in an important way in the exclusive and indissoluble union between a woman and a man.”

‘Two crucial challenges today’

“The institution of the family faces two crucial challenges today,” the pope said, naming “a worrying tendency in the international system to neglect and underestimate its fundamental social role, leading to its progressive institutional marginalization,” and “the growing and painful reality of fragile, broken and suffering families, afflicted by internal difficulties and disturbing phenomena, including domestic violence.”

The vocation “to love and to life,” the pope said, “manifests itself in an important way in the exclusive and indis-

soluble union between a woman and a man,” he said of traditional marriage, and “implies a fundamental ethical imperative for enabling families to welcome and fully care for unborn life.”

Calling it “increasingly a priority, especially in those countries that are experiencing a dramatic decline in birth rates,” he said life “is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service.

”

Life is ‘a gift to be cherished’ “In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development,” the pope firmly stated, calling abortion a practice that “cuts short a growing life and refuses to welcome the gift of life.”

Delivering the address in English, he told the diplomats that the Holy See “considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life, rather than being invested to support mothers and families. The primary ob-

jective must remain the protection of every unborn child and the effective and concrete support of every woman so that she is able to welcome life.”

Many of the diplomats are from countries that facilitate abortion in their legal systems, such as France, which has enshrined abortion in its constitution.

Crossing borders to obtain an abortion

Pope Leo also expressed “deep concern” about “projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility for the purpose of accessing the so-called ‘right to safe abortion.'”

Strongly opposing surrogacy as well, he said that “by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, this violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”

“In light of these challenges, we firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human

right. A society is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it,” Pope Leo said.

Protecting life means also rejecting euthanasia, the pope emphasized, calling assisted dying methods “deceptive forms of compassion.”

Offer real solutions to suffering

“Similar considerations can be extended to the sick and to those who are elderly or isolated, who at times struggle to find a reason to continue living,” he said. “Civil society and States also have a responsibility to respond concretely to situations of vulnerability, offering solutions to human suffering, such as palliative care, and promoting policies of authentic solidarity, rather than encouraging deceptive forms of compassion such as euthanasia.”

The pope met the world’s diplomats a day after he finished a day and a half consistory with cardinals, one that strengthened his relationship with the college, and set him off for his own agenda after following Pope Francis’ calendar in the Jubilee Year.❖

A Christian Perspective on Social Issues

The promise of 2026

By GHK Lall

Guyanese are among the most hopeful people I have encountered. The more they are disappointed, they more they hope that something will eventually come their way. Any little something coming would be joyfully accepted. Things are that rough for Guyanese at the lower ends of the economic scale. So, what is my outlook for this brandnew year, 2026?

I think that the 2026 national budget will contain some provisions that offer relief to the poorer segments of Guyana. In the competition prior to September 1st last year, participant groups were elbowing each other out of the way with how much their package for struggling citizens is better. All kinds of bright numbers were flashed, some

finding it hard to cope. However, I believe that that may be too much of a jump, and that it should be at the midpoint between $41,000 and $60,000. Going above that is sure to contribute a few more dollars chasing rising prices, and the specter of inflation looming. As to how much of a difference a $10,000 increase makes, it cannot be much.

Provision will be made for parents and guardians to receive some stipend for eligible children. While not traditionally much, it does help in some way. It would be progressive if tax credits and other allowances were to be made for married couples and those with children and elderly dependents. On the issue of taxation, it is time that the Value Added Tax be scrutinized and reduced from its current 14% level. Though subsidies have their uses, Guyanese who don’t have enough to eat would prefer that there is some additional money in their hands. Money to spend on basics, with food at the top of their needs chart.

To accommodate for more money freed up for poor Guyanese, there is an urgent need for the downward rebalancing of the hundreds of billions allocated in past budgets for new

poor on a pedestal, and to charge believers and followers to give them a high priority. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for our brothers and sisters who have the final say on issues of this kind.

Against the anxieties produced by developments in neighboring Venezuela, Guyana could be swamped by a steady stream of migrants should matters get unsafe and unlivable over there. The concern here is that some of those stresses could end up in Guyana’s lap, and which it is not equipped to manage. Whatever is factored into expectations for this New Year, the Venezuelan situation must always be held close in mind, since it has so much potential for shaking up the way that Guyanese live.

On a different note, Guyana my is primarily driven by oil. The outlook on oil prices doesn

With so much depending on oil prices here, any continuing decline in oil prices is sure to have some impact, negative ones. Guyana can up its daily production level, but that depletes a precious asset on the cheap. It is the time for a smaller budget this year, one that is more careful to spread the wealth around, so that it reaches those at the bottom. This also has a huge question s

Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Last, Guyanese have read, have been told, that there are among the richest people in the world. The disastrous ence that state, come to grips with what that means. Overall, 2026 may have its glimmers of positives. Just

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.

Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.

Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen

First Reading Isaiah 49:3.5-6

I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

The Lord said to me, ‘You are my servant Israel in whom I shall be glorified’; I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God was my strength. And now the Lord has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him:

‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 39 Response: Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

1. I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me; he heard my cry.

He put a new song into my mouth, praise of our God. Response

2. You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I. Response

3. In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do your will.

My God, I delight in your law in the depth of my heart. Response

Today’s readings provide clear and inspiring reminders of the most fundamental aspect of our identity that of servants of our most high and holy God, His modern-day disciples and stewards.

4. Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly.

My lips I have not sealed; you know it, O Lord. Response

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

John the Baptist recognized the holiness of Jesus and the response due to Him when he encountered Christ in person on the day they met at the Jordan River. His response, which we read in our Gospel passage from St. John was, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’”

What a powerful description of our Lord and the place He should

Gospel:

John 1:29-34

Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.”

Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’ ❖

rightfully have in each of our lives. He is truly our Saviour, the only one who can free us from our sinfulness. We are utterly and completely dependent on His power, love and mercy. Therefore He truly does “rank ahead” of us; he deserves to be first, above all other priorities and plans in our lives. Let us examine our daily lives and encourage our children to do the same. Does the way I spend my time reflect that God comes first? Do prayer and weekly Mass, regular confession and time with my family “rank ahead” of

everything else on my calendar? Do I use my talents, skills and energy to serve my family, parish and community in thanksgiving and recognition that God’s kingdom ranks ahead of any other goals or ambitions? Do I spend my money and use my material possessions so as to glorify God?

Challenge questions, to be sure. But questions worthy of our high calling as Christian stewards offered a glorious mission in service of our Lord and His kingdom. What will our response be? ❖ [www.catholicsteward.com/blog/ ]

Gospel Reflection

In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist tells the people who Jesus is and what his mission is to be. He is God’s Chosen One, the Anointed, who will take away people’s sins. He is the ‘Servant of the Lord’ of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke, who will gather, not only the scattered tribes of Israel, but all nations and bring them back to God. John is pointing him out to us, too, as our salvation. The call of John the Baptist is for us to take stock of ourselves and to make changes, to reflect on what we are really about in this world and to seek to review and reset our lives. This means that Jesus Christ is to be the focus of our lives and not just someone barely recognisable on the margins looking on.

John points out Jesus as the one who takes away the sins of the world. Clearly, Jesus’ mission led to him being involved with sinners. When our sins are taken away, we are relieved of a great burden and we are able to go forward in life freely. But this is easier said than done. First of all we have to be conscious of our sin and accept full responsibility for what we have done. Blaming others means that we have not accepted personal responsibility. And after we have been forgiven, it doesn’t mean that life will be all easy after we are forgiven. We do not suddenly become different people. We still have our old weaknesses, and our bad habits and desires still remain with us. It means that we still have to struggle to overcome the evil that lies within.

Jesus comes to us and brings out the goodness that exists in us. He comes to us, not because we are good and holy people, but because we are sinful people who need to recognise that we are good at heart. Evil can only be conquered by goodness. ❖

[From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]

portrait of Pope Leo for papal basilica

(OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media)

(OSV News) The Vatican has completed the official mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV, continuing a centuries -old tradition that marks the election of each new pontiff. The circular mosaic, known as a tondo, was created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter’s and will be installed in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

The pontiff blessed artists Jan. 14, smiling at the sight of his own image, even as he battled a cold.

A long tradition

The tiles for the mosaic tondo were created using the ancient cut mosaic technique and fixed with traditional Vatican oil stucco at the request of Cardinal James Michael Harvey, the archpriest of the basilica.

The mosaic tondo, about 54 inches in diameter, was created with vitreous enamels and gold on a metal structure

at the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter’s.

According to the studio’s website, “the history of the Vatican Mosaic Studio dates from the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni decided to entrust the painter Girolamo Muziano with the mosaic decoration of the dome of the Gregorian Chapel of the Vatican Basilica (1578-1580).”

“Following its success, it was decided to extend this type of decoration also to Michelangelo’s large dome (16031612) and to all the domes of the basilica.”

Today, the studio performs a dual function: the conservation of the basilica’s mosaics, with restoration work, and the production of mosaic works for sale to the public.

An

ancient process

“Thanks to the skill and experience of its mosaicists, who still use the ancient technical-artistic procedures, works inspired by masterpieces of sacred and profane art are executed. The studio also carries out works on commission and can be visited by appointment,” the studio’s website said.

The mosaic tondo was executed based on a pictorial sketch by Rodolfo Papa, the Vatican said, calling it “an oil on canvas of the same dimensions as the mosaic tondo, specifically conceived for transpositioninto a mosaic.”

The work will then be installed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis, in the right nave of the Basilica, at a height of approximately 42 feet.

The pictorial sketch will be preserved, along with the entire series of portraits of the pontiffs, at the Fabbrica di San Pietro in the Vatican.❖

For 121 years, the Catholic Standard has been sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now reaching 10,000+ followers on Catholic Media Guyana Facebook plus going straight to your inbox and WhatsApp, our vibrant weekly e-paper is a trusted source which delivers informative and inspiring stories from across the diocese and around the world. Want to promote your business or event? Advertise with us! Call 675-4542 or email catholicstandardgy@gmail.com ❖

Pope’s January prayer Journeying with the Word of God

(Vatican News) - With the new year, Pope Leo XIV has thrown his support behind a renewed initiative known as “Pray with the Pope,” which brings his monthly prayer intentions to the Church throughout the world.

A press release noted that the new initative continues Pope Francis’ desire to share papal prayer intentions by video and audio.

“This initiative aims to increase the visibility of the Pope’s prayer intentions, using a language suitable for prayer, in new formats, so as to better reach the faithful throughout the world, especially in today’s world of digital communication,” noted the statement.

God’s Word is ‘hope in darkness’

In his first video under the new format, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to pray frequently with the Word of God.

Only the Gospel, he said, can give peace and fullness to the human heart, which he noted is restless and hungers for meaning.

“Teach us to listen to you each day in the Scriptures,” he said, “to let ourselves be challenged by your voice, and to discern our decisions from the closeness to your Heart.”

God’s Word in Sacred Scripture, said the Pope, provides “nourishment in weariness, hope in darkness, and strength in our communities.”

He prayed that all Christians may draw strength and guidance from the Word of God and that the

Church may always proclaim the Gospel with joy.

“May our faith grow in the encounter with you through your Word,” concluded the Pope, “moving us from the heart to reach out to others, to serve the most vulnerable, to forgive, build bridges, and proclaim life.”

Renewed invitation to Pray with the Pope

Formerly known as The Pope Video, the new “Pray with the Pope” initiative seeks to unite the Church behind the Holy Father’s daily prayer.

According to Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the initiative’s new format will make it easier for Catholics to support the Pope with greater depth.

“Pray with the Pope aims to be an open door so that any person, wherever they may be, can join in praying for the intention the Holy Father proposes each

month, praying with him in a synodal perspective,” he said. “It is a simple and universal invitation to which each of us can respond.

” The Pope’s January intention, which launches the project, urges Christians to rediscover the “spiritual power of Sacred Scripture as a privileged place to encounter Christ,” noted the press release.

Filming for the video took place in the Church of St. Pellegrino, one of the oldest churches inside Vatican City, whose origins date back to 795.

Tradition holds that during Pope Leo III’s pontificate, the Emperor Charlemagne gave the relics of St. Pellegrino, who was a priest of Rome and the first Bishop of Auxerre, to be placed in the church.

Located along the ancient Via Francigena, the Church of St. Pellegrino has historically offered welcome and a place of prayer for pilgrims headed to the tomb of St. Peter. ❖

MAKING THE WORD OF GOD YOUR OWN

Step 1: Lookattoday’sReadingsprayerfully.

1st Reading: The prophet sees himself as God’s servant who has been chosen to bring, not only the people of Israel, but all people everywhere back to God.

2nd Reading: Paul greets the converts of Corinth in the opening of his first letter to them. He tells them that they are the church of God, the holy people who call on Jesus as Lord.

Gospel: The role of John the Baptist is to be a witness to the true identity of Jesus. He presents Jesus as God’s Chosen servant who will take away thepeople’ssinsandrenewthemintheHolySpirit.

Step 2: ApplyingthevaluesoftheReadings toyourdailylife.

1.Isaiah’s servant is to be the “light of the nations”. Do you see yourself as someone who can bring light to the world? What form would such a “light” take?

2.John the Baptist points out Jesus to us as the ‘Chosen One’ who takes away the sins of the world. What is your experience of Christ taking away your sins?

3.John the Baptist points out Jesus to us but there are many who have not seen or recognised him for what he is. How can we believers be witnesses like the Baptist in pointing him out to others who do not know him?

4.We are called to be servants, formed in the womb to be light to others. This sort of discipleship is urgently needed in the world today. But such discipleship can be costly. What do you think the cost would be to you?

Step 3: Accepting the message of God’s Wordinyourlifeoffaith

John the Baptist points to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the One who takes away our sins, who reunites us to the Father and who constantly calls us to be reconciled to one another. As disciples of Christ we are called to bring light to the world, to work towards removing the structures of sin which limit and destroy the human race and to help others overcome that which can cause their downfall.

Step 4: Somethingtothink&prayabout 1.Apart from personal sin, there is also social sin such as racism and sexism. How do social sins like these affect our lives?

2.Victory over sin is not an easy thing to achieve. We must expect to make what seems like little progress over our sinfulness. What is important is the struggle for goodness. Reflect on your own struggle against sin.

3.Pray for the ability to acknowledge your sins and the willingness to look to Jesus for help ❖

[From: Journeying with the Word of God, The Religious Education Department, Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana ]

Bicentenary and Centenary of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Georgetown, Guyana 1825-2025

By Dr. Joanne

Collins-Gonsalves PhD, FRHistS

It is profoundly significant that in 2025, the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana, and especially the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, witnessed three momentous milestones, notably,

• Bicentenary of the Acquisition of land at Brickdam, Georgetown and the Construction of the first Pro-Cathedral (1825-2025)

• Centenary of the Full Opening of the Present Cathedral (1925-2025)

• 65th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Cathedral (1960-2025) marking 200 years of enduringfaith, heritage, andspiritual legacy.

Bicentenary of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 1825-2025

It is important to note that 2025 is the 200th Anniversary of the Acquisition of the Brickdam property and Construction of the First Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral in Guyana.

In 1825, Governor Sir Benjamin D’Urban approved the request for land made by the Roman Catholic inhabitants in then British Guiana (now Guyana) and “the Roman Catholic Church in British Guiana was granted a plot of land, free of charge on the old Parade Ground in Stabroek, Georgetown. It is the site of the present Cathedral, bound by Brickdam, Camp and Hadfield streets and Pollard Place. The foundation stone of the first Roman Catholic church was laid on November 12, 1825 by Governor Sir D’Urban, who also gave a personal donation.” Joanne Collins-Gonsalves, From Ashes to FerroConcrete: A History of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1914-2014 (Georgetown: Guyana Heritage Society, 2014), 6. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is located on lots 32-36 Stabroek, Georgetown, a plot of land approximately 310 feet by 200 feet. It is bound by Brickdam, Camp, and Hadfield streets and Pollard Place. Since the Cathedral is located on Brickdam street - a major thoroughfare in Georgetown, it is often popularly referred to as the Brickdam Cathedral

1925 2025. The webinar was expertly hosted by Mr. Joshua Van-Sluytman of Catholic Media Guyana. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception commemorated this event with a Festival of Trees and a centenary celebratory Mass, among other events.

Consecration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1960-2025

In addition to the major milestones of the bicentenary and centenary, the Brickdam Cathedral was consecrated in October 1960, marking 65 years since this solemn occasion in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana. The Cathedral’s bicentenary and centenary, together with the sixty-fifth anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral, constitute a significant moment in its sacredhistory.

Congratulations once again to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana, on the 200th Anniversary of the Acquisition of land at Brickdam, Georgetown and the Construction of the first Pro-Cathedral (1825-2025); the 100th Anniversary of the Opening of the Present Cathedral (1925-2025); and the 65th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1960-2025 ❖

References

Joanne Collins-Gonsalves, From Ashes to FerroConcrete: A History of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1914-2014 (Georgetown: Guyana Heritage Society, 2014).

Joanne Collins-Gonsalves, “The Roman Catholic Church in Guyana: A Historical Overview" in Aspects of European Guyanese Heritage (Georgetown: Guyana Heritage Society, 2017).

“Show and Tell"

Dear Girls and Boys,

Do you remember having "Show and Tell" at school? "Show and Tell" gives you the chance to show and tell others about something that is really important to you. Our Gospel reading today tells us about a man named John who loved to "show and tell" others about Jesus.

One day John was standing with a group of people when he saw Jesus coming. He said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! I have seen him and I tell you that this is the Son of God."

Because John loved to show and tell others about Jesus, many people came to know Jesus and follow him. It is important for us to show and tell others about Jesus too. We can show others about Jesus by doing the things that Jesus taught us to do things like loving one another and being helpful and kind. Then people will see that we know Jesus and that will give us a chance to tell them about Jesus. We can tell them about what he has done for us and what he wants to do for them. Yes, each day we should show and tell others about Jesus!

Dear Father, help us this week to "show and tell" others about you and your love. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. ❖

Pope proclaims Jubilee Year to mark 800th anniversary of St Francis’ death (From Front Page)

Noting previous jubilee celebrations related to the works of St. Francis such as the eighth centenary commemorations of the first Nativity scene, as well as his composition of the “Canticle of the Creatures” and his receiving of the stigmata the decree stated that “2026 will mark the culmination and fulfillment of all previous celebrations.”

In its decree, the Apostolic Penitentiary also announced that plenary indulgences will be granted to Catholics “under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father), which can also be applied in the form of suffrage for the souls in Purgatory.”

The indulgence will be granted to those who participate in a pilgrimage “to any Franciscan conventual church, or place of worship in any part of the world named after St. Francis or connected to him for any reason,” it stated.

The sick, the elderly and caretakers unable to leave their homes can also obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions “if they join spiritually in the Jubilee celebrations of the Year of St. Francis, offering their prayers to the Merciful God, the pains or sufferings of one’s life.”

In a statement announcing the decree’s promulgation, the Franciscan Friars invited Catholics to take part in the Jubilee celebrations and hope that St. Francis’ example would inspire participants “to live with authentic Christian charity towards our neighbor and with sincere longings for concord and peace among peoples.”

May this year of St. Francis “be for each one of us a providential occasion for sanctification and evangelical witness in the contemporary world, for the glory of God and the good of the whole Church,” the statement read.

In a Jan. 10 letter to the ministers general of the Conference of the Franciscan Family, Pope Leo said St. Francis’ message of peace was needed

now more than ever.

“In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear, he continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace,” the pope wrote.

That peace, the pope added, “is not limited to the relations between human beings,” but extends to “the entire family of Creation.”

“This insight resonates with particular urgency in our time, when our common home is threatened and cries out under exploitation,” he wrote.

“Peace with God, peace among human beings, and with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”

Pope Leo concluded his letter with a prayer to St. Francis, asking the saint’s intercession “to give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries.”

“In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ,” the pope wrote.

The pope’s letter was read during a Jan. 10 celebration marking the start of the Franciscan Jubilee Year at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, which houses the Chapel of the Transit, marking the site where St. Francis died.

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi, who was present at the ceremony, said the start of the centenary celebration was “an explosion of true joy” that comes from the heart and “from the commitment of each one of us to rediscover Francis in all his dimensions.”

“The wish I make to everyone and to the entire Church is to rediscover this saint of ours, to rediscover Jesus, the only source of joy and peace,” the bishop said.

Among the notable events taking place in Assisi during the Franciscan Jubilee Year will be the first public display of St. Francis’ body.

In October, the Basilica of St. Francis announced that Pope Leo had granted permission to display the saint’s body from Feb. 22 to March 26.

According to the basilica’s website for the historic event, as of December, some 250,000 pilgrims have so far registered for the veneration of St. Francis’ remains.

The overwhelming number of people coming for the public display, the basilica said, is a testament to “the universality of the message of the Saint of Assisi and the timeless appeal of his figure.”

A free but mandatory online reservation system has been set up on the centenary website, available in both Italian and English.❖

Saint of the Week

The life of Anthony will remind many people of St. Francis of Assisi. At 20, Anthony was so Go, sell what (Mark 10:21b), that he actually did just that with his large inheritance. He is different from Francis s life was spent in solitude. He saw the world completely covered with snares, and gave the Church and the world the witness of solitary asceticism, great personal mortification and prayer. But no saint is antisocial, and Anthony drew many people to himself for spiritual healing and guidance. At 54, he responded to many requests and founded a sort of monastery of scattered cells. At 60, he hoped to be a martyr in the renewed Roman persecution of 311, fearlessly exposing himself to danger while giving moral and material support to those in prison. At 88, he was fighting the Arian heresy, that massive trauma from which it took the Church centuries to recover. “The mule kicking over the altar” denied the divinity of Christ. Anthony is associated in art with a T-shaped cross, a pig and a book. The pig and the cross are symbols of his valiant warfare with the devil the cross his constant means of power over evil spirits, the pig a symbol of the devil himself. The book recalls his preference for “the book of nature” over the printed word. Anthony died at age 105.❖ [www.franciscanmedia.org]

On the Lighter Side

VATICAN CITY (CNS) are to speak about God, then they must dedicate time each day and week to listening to God prayer and the liturgy, Pope Leo XIV said.

“We are called to live and cultivate friendship with the Lord” through prayer, he said Jan. 14 during his weekly general audience.

“This is achieved first of all in liturgical and community prayer, in which we do not decide what to hear from the Word of God, but it is he himself who speaks to us through the Church,” he said. “It is then achieved in personal prayer, which takes place in the interiority of the heart and mind.”

“Time dedicated to prayer, meditation and reflection cannot be lacking in the Christian’s day and week,” he said. “Only when we speak with God can we also speak about him.”

Speaking to visitors gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall for the general audience, the pope continued a new series of talks dedicated to the Second Vatican Council, which “rediscovered the face of God as the Father who, in Christ, calls us to be his children,” Pope Leo said in his first talk introducing the series Jan. 7.

He dedicated his Jan. 14 catechesis to the Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, “Dei Verbum,” calling it “one of the most beautiful and important” documents of the council.

The document, published in 1965, affirms “a fundamental point of Christian faith,” that “Jesus Christ radically transforms man’s relationship with God,” who is no

may invite and take them into fellowship with himself,” he said.

“The only condition of the New Covenant is love.”

While the Covenant is eternal, and “nothing can separate us from his love,” the revelation of God has “the dialogical nature of friendship,” which “does not tolerate silence, but is nurtured by the exchange of true words,” he said.

Just as human friendships can end with “a dramatic gesture of rupture or because of a series of daily acts of neglect that erode the

s friendship with Jesus must be cultivated and cared for daily,

Therefore, the first step is to cultivate an “attitude of listening, so that the divine Word may penetrate our minds and our hearts,” he said. “At the same time, we are required to speak with God, not to communicate to him what he already knows, but to reveal ourselves to ourselves.”

“If Jesus calls us to be friends, let us not leave this call unheeded,” he said.

“Let us take care of this relationship, and we will discover that friendship with God is our salvation,” he said.❖

Survivors praise pope’s words during consistory

ROME (OSV News) Pope Leo XIV strongly condemned the Church’s failure to welcome survivors of sexual abuse, calling it a “scandal” that deepens their suffering, even though the issue was not a main topic at the Jan. 7-8 extraordinary consistory in Rome.

The door of the Church “was closed” and the victims “were not welcomed,” the pope told the cardinals.

Final remarks of the pope to cardinals were published Jan. 10 by the Vatican. Victims of abuse welcomed the brief text.

‘Truly a wound in life of Church’

“Even if it wasn’t a specific topic of discussion during our meeting I want to mention the problem, which still today is truly a wound in the life of the Church in many places, which is precisely the crisis caused by sexual abuse,” Pope Leo told the cardinals Jan. 8 as they were wrapping up discussions of their day-and-a half consistory.

“We cannot close our eyes nor our hearts” to victims seeking a conversation, he said.

Encouraging the cardinals to share his message with the bishops in their countries, the pope warned that “many times the pain of the victims has been greater because they were not welcomed and listened to.”

The abuse itself “causes a deep wound that perhaps lasts a lifetime,” the pope said, “but many times the scandal in the Church is because the door was closed and the victims were not welcomed, accompanied by the closeness of authentic pastors.”

‘No bishop wanted to listen’

The pope remembered how a victim recently told him “that truly the most painful thing for her was precisely that no bishop wanted to listen to her. And so there too: Listening is profoundly important.”

Antonia Sobocki, leader of the the LOUDFence initiative helping survivors in the U.K. and beyond, told OSV News the pope “is correct to discuss the critical nature of listening.”

“Listening is not only a means of obtaining vitally important information in order to more ably safeguard others” but is “the first gift we give a

survivor in order to affirm their human dignity.”

“Many survivors will talk about how abuse has two parts to it. The first is the abuse itself, and the second is the way they are so often treated by others when the abuse is discovered,” Sobocki told OSV News.

‘Put the wounded first’

“Listening, especially when you have emotionally invested in the person against whom the allegations have been made, requires the renunciation of selfishness and the conscious decision to put the wounded first,” she said of bishops.

Robert Fidura, a survivor of clerical sexual abuse in Poland, was eager to know whether abuse would be addressed during the consistory and said he was relieved it was.

“After the legal aspects his predecessors addressed, Leo seems to be drawing attention to what’s equally important: the human, pastoral aspect,” he said of the papal words to cardinals.

“The Church isn’t a curial office, it’s not a bunch of bureaucrats, but we’re sisters and brothers in faith. I’ve often heard from survivors that worse than abuse was being ignored, rejected by the hierarchy, being bounced off the doors of their palaces, defending the perpetrators,” Fidura told OSV News.

Swatted away like ‘annoying flies’

“The protracted procedures and lack of information are also a nightmare. We are merely petitioners, swabbed away by the hierarchy like annoying flies,” he lamented, urging empathy.

Pope Leo, Fidura said, “seems to have noticed this aspect,” but “this is also something that cannot be decreed. It’s a matter of human conscience and upbringing,” he added, urging formation of clergy in the spirit of empathy and understanding for those who have been hurt inside the Church.

For Teresa Pitt Green, founder of Spirit Fire ministry, survivor and longtime advocate for victims, “when survivors reach out, they can receive no answer, simply silence, and the Church that should endeavor to offer sanctuary for all instead remains unmoved and closed to very tender hearts.”

It’s “not just the bishops, sadly,” she told OSV News in a written comment.

‘A startling resentment’

“Clergy and lay ministries reject and often judge survivors. In some places there remains a startling resentment toward the conversations and boundaries which addressing the abuse scandal has forced our Church to have.”

“The Church simply cannot heal without the first step of radical selfless deep listening,” Sobocki added, stressing that if every cardinal and bishop accompanied a survivor of abuse and “witnessed the suffering first hand,” the accompaniment “would give back to the survivor and change the bishops and cardinals as they transformed into accompaniers.” “It would help them to see the invisible but painful wounds of a terrible epidemic,” she said, “and enable them to be part of the process of acceptance” that “survivors must undergo in order to live and thrive despite the pain.”

‘Listening is the first medicine’ Pope Francis often described the church as a field hospital, Sobocki said. “I would add that listening is the first medicine we use to treat the wounded.”

Pitt Green sees a “bright spot of hope.” “Some bishops and clergy, some ministers, hasten to care for survivors. Their efforts can be stymied, however, by their brethren’s cold welcome. We have much work to do, and we have ample grace to do as the Holy Father has asked.”❖

Report: More than 388 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution

(OSV News) More than 388 million Christians or 1 in 7 believers worldwide face “high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith,” according to a new report.

Open Doors International, a global advocacy organization for persecuted Christians, released the figure as part of its “World Watch List 2026” report, an annual overview that measures the severity of Christian persecution in some 50 countries.

For the 24th consecutive year, North Korea remains the harshest country in which to practice the Christian faith, due to a national policy that bans worship of any other entity beside the ruling Kim regime, said the report.

If found to be one of the 400,000 estimated Christians in North Korea, “you and your family could be immediately executed or sent to a terrible labor camp forever,” said Open Doors, pointing to that nation’s 2020 “anti-reactionary thought law,” which has “made it even clearer that being a Christian and owning a Bible is a serious crime.”

Extreme levels of persecution Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya and Iran also have “extreme” levels of Christian persecution, said Open Doors, which traces its origins to one man’s postwar efforts to smuggle Bibles into the former Soviet Union.

In Nigeria, close to 3,500 Christians were killed over the past year, according to the report. Among those slain have been several priests, with abductions of Christians also

escalating in that nation.

Most of the countries topping Open Doors’ 2026 list are located on the African continent and in Southeast Asia, with a handful in Central and South America.

Measuring Christian persecution which Open Doors defines as “any hostility experienced as a result of one’s identification with Christ” is a “complex task,” since the phenomenon is “multidimensional” and can encompass other factors such as gender and ethnicity, the organization notes on its website.

The organization relies on a “longstanding underground network” as well as its “commitment to working with local Christians” to ensure its information sources “are almost always based on direct eyewitness accounts” from contacts, explained Open Doors on its website. In addition, the organization draws on incountry news reports as well as news services.

Because it has “developed personal relationships” with churches and pastors it serves, Open Doors remains “careful to protect the identity of persecuted Christians,” and as a result often “cannot disclose the nature or location of the assistance we are providing in full detail.”

Documenting persecution

Specifically, Open Doors focuses on collecting data on Christian persecution in six key areas: restrictions or dangers on practicing faith in private, family, community, national and church life, as well as the

Nigeria, the locus of Africa’s Christian population, is a prime example, with mega-churches in the south while thousands of Christians have been killed and millions displaced in the country’s north.

Under dictatorships and authoritarian regimes as in North Korea, Nicaragua, Cuba and China “persecution operates within a wider suffocation of rights, reinforced by media censorship, weak courts and oppressive surveillance,” Open Doors notedin its report.

Other kinds of persecution

In other countries, “persecution sometimes comes down to some very basic things: greed, corruption and crime,” said Open Doors, citing organized crime in Central and South America as “one of the biggest drivers” of persecution there.

In Mexico, warring gangs and cartels often target church leaders and groups who attempt to mediate conflicts or provide aid, the report said.

Open Doors said that such persecution can “be allied with poverty, food scarcity or competition for land driven by climate change” but “whatever the motivation Christians make easy targets.”

levels of violence mental, physical and sexual Christians face in the 150 nations Open Doors monitors. Each area is scored, with each country then receiving an overall score out of 100 for the severity of Christian persecution, with scores of 81-100 designated as “extreme,” 61-80 “very high” and 41-60 “high.”

Open Doors’ research and results are independently audited by the International Institute for Religious Freedom, a global organization that promotes religious freedom for all faiths through academic research and policy development.

Christian persecution “happens for a wide variety of reasons,” Open Doors said in its report.

Conflict, chaos and anarchy are key drivers, creating “lawless zones where criminal gangs and religious extremists can attack Christians secure in the knowledge that they will not face any consequences,” the report said.

Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Myanmar are all marred by such breakdowns in the rule of lawful state authority, the report noted with Syria as “the most striking example” over the past year, where the fall of the longrunning Assad regime “has resulted in a surge of violence” that saw the country move up by 12 spots on Open Doors’ list.

Other nations, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, “have a kind of split personality,” with regions of both persecution and “relative tranquility” for Christians, said the report.

Nationalism and religiously-driven hatred also fuel persecution, especially as “the world is becoming more partisan, more divided,” and as “more countries are deciding that religion is part of their national identity,” said Open Doors.

In the Maldives, “it is assumed that all citizens are Muslim,” while a merging of Indian nationality with Hinduism “has led to a number of states imposing anti-conversion laws,” the report found.

Yet “perhaps the most potent and powerful reason for persecution is the faith of the church itself,” said Open Doors in its report, adding that in all of the countries it surveyed, “the church is still present and alive,” and “even growing” in some places.

Along with data, the Open Doors report included numerous testimonies from individuals living their faith in the face of persecution and possible death.

In North Korea where most Christians are “too afraid to speak of their faith openly, even to their children,” according to one Open Doors ministry coordinator the nation’s estimated 400,000 Christians live their beliefs silently, secretly and steadily.

The report quoted one North Korea escapee, who said, “If you could see what God is doing in my country, you would never have any doubts again. The Holy Spirit is at work, thanks to your prayers.”❖

across the South Rupununi Churikadnau, Awarewanau, Shea, gathered at Aishalton, Deep South Rupununi, Region 9, Essequibo, plans, and challenges.