Vatican City, Aug 15, 2020 / 07:00 am
Pope Francis prayed Saturday for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "Mother of Hope," for Nigeria's persecuted Christians and for peace in conflicts in Africa.
"Today I would like to pray in particular for the population of the northern region of Nigeria, victims of violence and terrorist attacks," Pope Francis said in his Angelus address Aug. 15.
"The Virgin Mary, whom we contemplate today in heavenly glory, is the 'Mother of Hope,' he said. "Let us invoke her intercession for all the situations in the world that are most in need of hope: hope for peace, for justice, hope for a dignified life."
More than 600 Christians in Nigeria have been killed in 2020 so far, according to a report on May 15 by the Nigerian human rights organization, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety). The same report found that up to 12,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since June 2015.