The African Church is in the midst of a great persecution – though you probably wouldn’t know it from the evening news. From the beaches of Libya to the dusty towns of the Central African Republic, Christians are being martyred for their faith.
Next month the Church will honour a group of them. On December 8, 19 late 20th-century martyrs will be beatified in the Algerian city of Oran. They include Bishop Pierre Claverie, who was killed in 1996, and seven monks of Tibhirine, who also died that year and were later portrayed in the compelling film Of Gods and Men.
