CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2020 / 15:01 pm
Catholic leaders have challenged the incoming Biden administration to make humanitarian efforts for persecuted Christian worldwide, noting that Christmas is a time for solidarity.
In a Dec. 16 op-ed, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Toufic Baaklini, president of In Defense of Christians, encouraged U.S. officials and residents to reflect on the story of Christmas and to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians.
They said that millions of persecuted Christians across the globe are refused access to church services by their government. For the first time, they said, Americans are facing a similar experience as pandemic restrictions have limited or suspended services across the country.
"The theme of persecution lies at the heart of the Christmas story. The Holy Family were forced to flee their native land due to state-sponsored oppression," they wrote in the opinion piece posted to the Wall Street Journal.