Thomasians urged to end apathy on persecution of Christians
A director of a pontifical foundation encouraged Thomasians to be more sensitive to the persecution of Christians in different parts of the world as the University celebrated “Red Wednesday.”
Jonathan Luciano, national director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), said in a forum last Nov. 22 that people who are apathetic to their fellow persecuted Christians were contributing to their suffering.
“Through this Red Wednesday campaign, we would not only like to be in solidarity with Christians who were persecuted, but we also would like this opportunity to look into ourselves. We’re also somehow part of the persecution because of our indifference…That is not the attitude of a Christian,” Luciano said.
Red Wednesday is ACN’s global public awareness campaign which started last year in the United Kingdom. It aims to inform Christian communities and the general public that Christians are being persecuted around the world.
According to a study by Center for New Religions, over 90,000 Christians were murdered in 2016.
Luciano also reminded the students to support and help them through prayer, information dissemination and concrete action.
“It is our duty now to keep the world informed and with this information, comes awareness. When awareness comes, then we can do something about it,” he told student reporters on the sideline.
A mass at the Santissimo Rosario Chapel followed the forum which was presided by Asst. to the Vice-Rector Rev. Fr. Roberto Luanzon O.P.
“We are one with them [persecuted Christians] by celebrating this solidarity with them. Even though we don’t experience what they experience of being persecuted… is for us to continue to manifest and show our faith, our love to God in everything that we do,” he reminded the Thomasian community.
Vice-Rector for Religious Affairs Rev. Fr. Pablo Tiong O.P. led the candle lighting ceremony for Christian martyrs.
In line with the campaign, the Thomasian community were also encouraged to wear red and several buildings and places in the campus were lit up with red light at night. — B. Laforga
