Red lights against the persecution of Christians: Vienna shows solidarity!

Red lights against the persecution of Christians: Vienna shows solidarity!

November 19, 2025 is the so-called “Red Wednesday,” a day dedicated worldwide to draw attention to the persecution of Christians. The Missio National Directorate in Austria will accompany this day with a special campaign by shining the country's landmark, St. Stephen's Cathedral, in red light. This initiative is part of a communication from the Pontifical Mission Society highlighting the worrying situation of Christians in Syria and Pakistan.

Around a million Christians have fled since the start of the Syrian civil war 14 years ago. In 2011 they still made up ten percent of the population, today it is only two percent. Father Karl Wallner, Missio's national director, emphasizes the urgency of giving hope to Christians in Syria, a need that is heightened given ongoing discrimination and insecurities.

Ecumenical peace prayer and participants

An ecumenical peace prayer for the Middle East will take place in Vienna on Thursday at 7 p.m., with up to 1,000 Christians of various denominations, including Orthodox, Coptic and Catholic, expected to attend. Among the announced participants are Vienna Auxiliary Bishop Franz Scharl and Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm. The prayer and a subsequent prayer procession end with a rally at Michaelerplatz. The organizers are Missio, the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch St. Ephrem Vienna, Church in Need Austria and the Christian Orient Initiative.

The general situation of Christians in Syria is critical. Reports from ACN describe the mood among Christians as “cautiously optimistic”. They are currently experiencing a period of liberation from oppression, but insecurity remains, especially in regions such as Homs and Hama. Islamists want to further restrict religious freedom and implement radical measures such as the introduction of separate seats on public transport.

Discrimination and challenges for Christians

There are repeated reports of jihadists calling on people to convert to Islam. Individual attacks on travelers and social restrictions, such as the requirement for women to wear veils in many places, increase the feeling of threat. However, the situation is comparatively peaceful, particularly in the “Valley of the Christians” region near the border with Lebanon.

The Christian community had around 1.5 million members before the civil war, but now there are only around 300,000. This frightening development also brings with it fears about future stability. Syrian Archbishop Jacques Mourad expresses concern about the new rulers and their promises to protect the rights of minorities. The horrors that remained during the rule of the Assad regime and the Islamic State make it questionable whether Christians will return under the current political situation.

The German church and its representatives call on the international community to intervene more actively. Bishop Bertram Meier calls for better protection for the Christian minority in the Middle East and calls for a joint effort to ensure peace and stability in order to enable the return of Christians and Muslims.

The future of Christians in Syria does not only depend on domestic political changes, but also requires stability that allows people of different religions to live together peacefully. Father Wallner and Archbishop Mourad therefore rely on hope, which must be based on a stable foundation.