As April flowers burst into bloom on the mountain slopes and in the valleys Nagorno Karabakh, there are almost no Armenians there to celebrate the arrival of spring in their ancient homeland.

Forced conversions, lost childhoods, years of hiding, living in limbo — the persecution Christians face around the world was given specific, concrete shape by the testimony of survivors at the annual Red Wednesday vespers in Toronto’s St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica.

Shahbaz Bhatti, declared Servant of God by Pope Francis in 2012, has a special place in the hearts of thousands of Pakistani Canadians who fled their country to find safety and freedom of religion here. 

Wearing the red of martyrs, St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica once again stood up for persecuted Christians — one of dozens of cathedrals around the world illuminated for Red Wednesday.

OTTAWA -- Getting the United Nations and the European Union to acknowledge the persecution of Christians is an ongoing challenge, but there are signs of progress, says Marcela Szymanski, a lobbyist for Aid to the Church in Need.

VATICAN – Servant of God Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic politician from Pakistan who was killed in 2011, is a witness of how to act with love in the face of hatred, Pope Francis said Friday.

DAHUK, Iraq – The Chaldean Catholic Church concluded a weeklong synod in Baghdad offering thanks to God for the return of numerous displaced Christians to their hometowns in the Ninevah Plain and for pastoral achievements in their dioceses.

Every year, young writers from across Ontario impress the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement Graymoor and The Catholic Register with their insight into the themes of Christian unity.

OTTAWA – As the new year dawns, the prospect of a peaceful future for Christians in the Middle East seems as remote as ever.

WASHINGTON – A new study categorizes what kinds of responses emerge when Christians around the world are persecuted, noting that, most often, Christians choose a strategy of survival.

MADRID, Spain – Josefa Rodríguez and Amaro Pesquero were not expecting to receive a letter from Pope Francis.

MONTREAL – A Quebec priest best known in English Canada for composing the anthem for World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, has released the second edition of a CD to draw attention to the plight of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith.

VATICAN CITY – Despite increased persecution and attacks against Christians, the faithful must strengthen their courage and joyful desire to follow Christ no matter the cost, Pope Francis said.