Pope, Religious Liberty Advocates: Christians Facing Genocide

The growing persecution that Christians are facing around the world has led Pope Francis and other groups to start referring to the problem as a genocide.

Pope Francis said on his recent trip to Latin America that he was discouraged "to see how in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world many of our brothers and sisters are persecuted, tortured and killed for their faith in Jesus," The Guardian reported.

"In this third world war, waged piecemeal, which we are now experiencing, a form of genocide is taking place, and it must end," the Pope said.

Groups that track religious persecution say that the attacks on Christians are largely fueled by Islamic extremism and oppressive governments, and that religious liberty for Christians is deteriorating in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to The Guardian.

More here