“Jesus forewarns his disciples of the rejection and persecution that they will encounter and he says this: “and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (v. 22). But why does the world persecute Christians? The world hates Christians for the same reason it hated Jesus because He brought the light of God and the world prefers the darkness to hide its wicked works,” Pope Francis said during today’s St. Stephen Angelus at St. Peter Square (Vatican City).

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“Yesterday, Christmas Day, the persecuted Christians in Iraq celebrated Christmas in their destroyed Cathedral. [Theirs] is an example of fidelity to the Gospel. Despite the trials and the dangers, they bear witness with courage to their belonging to Christ and they live the Gospel committing themselves on behalf of the least, the most overlooked, doing good to all without distinction; they bear witness in this way to charity in truth,” he also added.

Full transcript of his speech on Radio Vaticana