Pope Leo XIV has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, urging its government to safeguard authentic religious freedom amid mounting scrutiny of the country’s spiralling violence and renewed claims of Christian persecution.
Speaking informally to journalists at Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday evening, the Pope said that both Christians and Muslims had been slaughtered in a conflict driven by terrorism and economic pressures.
“I think in Nigeria, in certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people,” he said. “There is a question of terrorism. There is a question that has to do a lot with economics, if you will, and control of the lands that they have. Unfortunately, many Christians have died.”
