Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City, has named Nigeria among countries where Christians are reportedly subjected to frequent attacks, alongside Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Sudan.
In a message shared on his official X account on Sunday, the pontiff expressed deep concern over ongoing assaults on Christian communities and places of worship worldwide. He urged believers to pray for peace, protection, and unity.
“In various parts of the world, Christians suffer discrimination and persecution. I think especially of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and other countries from which we frequently hear of attacks on communities and places of worship. God is a merciful Father who desires peace among all His children!” he wrote.
The Pope also called for prayers for families in Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where recent massacres have claimed civilian lives.
“Let us pray that all violence may cease and that believers may work together for the common good,” he added.
The statement comes amid rising international scrutiny of Nigeria, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s October 31, 2025, designation of the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged attacks on Christians. Trump warned that the United States could consider military action unless the Nigerian government halted the killings.
In response, the federal government rejected claims of a systematic Christian genocide, describing the narrative as false, misleading, and a distortion of Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
The debate intensified when U.S. Congressman Riley Moore criticised President Bola Tinubu’s assertion that Nigeria does not tolerate religious persecution, arguing that conditions on the ground contradict the government’s statements.
The issue of Christian persecution has since dominated media discussions in Nigeria, with opinions divided over the reality and extent of the threat.
Pope Leo XIV has named Nigeria among countries where Christians face persecution, a remark causing deep alarm in Abuja and among Nigerian Catholics. Yes, the Catholic Church has suffered terribly: parishes bombed, priests kidnapped and murdered, parishioners attacked. But the pattern is far more complex than a simple “Nigeria vs Christians” narrative. In the Southeast, for example, ESN/IPOB-linked violence and criminal gangs have ravaged communities, and Governor Soludo of Anambra has openly admitted that Christians are killing Christians in his state. Is that genocide, or a catastrophic security collapse?
Nationwide, Nigeria is battling multifaceted insecurity from Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits, ESN, IPOB and other armed groups, with both Christians and Muslims among the victims. There is no conclusive evidence of a state-backed project to exterminate Christians. With no Nigerian ambassador at the Vatican, the risk of one-sided briefings is high. The Pope should urgently review or clarify his statement; the genocide label is premature, unbalanced and ultimately unjustified.
The Vatican, traditionally neutral and cautious, is expected to seek verified facts, not adopt untested labels. Many argue Pope Leo should review or clarify his remark, while Nigeria urgently appoints an envoy and insists that insecurity, not religious genocide, is the country’s core challenge.
