In a world marked by instability, political polarization, violence and economic hardship, religious persecution is on the rise in scale and intensity, and Canada is not immune, says the latest report from the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). 

Launched Oct. 21 in Rome at an event featuring religious leaders such as Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, ACN is marking 25 years of documenting and reporting on all forms of religious oppression from extreme violence to what Pope Francis called “polite persecution” in countries around the world. 

While religious oppression in Canada bears no resemblance to the extreme violence in countries such as Nigeria, Mozambique, Burkina Faso and others of sub-Sahara Africa, or Syria and Gaza in the Middle East, the report — known to religious freedom advocates as one of the most comprehensive in the world — has pointed out the need for vigilance on some concerning trends in Canada.

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Subtle persecution, including restrictions on the public expression of faith, are increasing in Canada, warns ACN. Among the causes for concern are a rise in the number of religiously motivated hate crimes, particularly against Jews. Police forces reported they rose from 3,612 in 2022 to 4,777 in 2023 — an increase of over 32 per cent. Christians did not escape unscathed either.

“Between 2021 and 2024, at least 44 churches in Canada were burned to the ground, with 24 confirmed as arson,” the report said, these fires following unproven allegations of unmarked graves on the grounds of Indigenous residential schools.

The ACN report also cited the case of Quebec, where laicité or a rigid interpretation and application of the principle of secularism has led to the suppression of religious expression in public. In December 2024, Premier Francois Legault of Quebec announced a proposal to ban praying in public, saying; “Seeing people praying in the streets, in public parks, is not something we want in Quebec.” Legault suggested he would use the notwithstanding clause to elevate the bill into law.

Marie-Claude Lalonde, national director of ACN Canada, said that while church burnings are serious tragedies, they are more episodic, rather than a trend.

“Church fires are terrible tragedies for the Christian communities affected by them. It is more than just a building: it represents the life of an entire community — baptisms, weddings, funerals and Sunday gatherings, in addition to catechetical activities, youth gatherings and more. These are incalculable losses,” she told The Catholic Register. “However, for now at least, and based on the information we have, nothing suggests that this series of fires that occurred between 2021 and 2024 represents a broader trend. It appears to be circumstantial, linked to the discovery of potential unmarked graves on the grounds of Indigenous residential schools as indicated in the report.” 

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She added that the refusal to include religion in public discourse is more of a trend. 

“What is worrying to me at the moment is also the rise in hatred against certain faith communities, particularly Jewish and Muslim ones, as well as the rise of a laicity that increasingly refuses to include religion in public discourse, notably in Quebec. Religion is truly being viewed as a privilege, when in fact it is a fundamental right recognized by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If we want to be a credible international actor on human rights issues — which Canada prides itself on being — then we must take all violations of the rights set out in Article 18 seriously.”

The report’s section on Canada also documents the increase in medically assisted deaths since 2016 when Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program was established. It pointed out that according to government statistics, over 60,000 people have died through this form of suicide. In November 2023, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement unanimously and unequivocally opposing the performance of either euthanasia or MAiD in Catholic health institutions.

Following an opening speech by Parolin, the report was presented by editor-in-chief Marta Petrosillo. Prior to the launch, Pope Leo XIV met with leaders of Aid to the Church in Need International, as well as several directors of ACN’s national offices in a private audience. Lalonde was part of the delegation

“For more than 25 years, your Religious Freedom in the World Report has been a powerful instrument for raising awareness,” the Holy Father told them. “This report does more than provide information; it bears witness, gives voice to the voiceless and reveals the hidden suffering of many.”

 He also thanked them for their commitment and gave them his apostolic blessing.

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“Your commitment also extends to supporting the Church’s mission across the world by reaching communities that are too often isolated, marginalized or under pressure,” he said. “Wherever Aid to the Church in Need rebuilds a chapel, supports a religious sister or provides for a radio station or a vehicle, you strengthen the life of the Church, as well as the spiritual and moral fabric of society. And as I’m sure you’re aware, your organizations has helped many of the missions in Peru, including in the Diocese of Chiclayo, where I was privileged to serve.”

 “Our meeting with Pope Leo XIV was very warm and moving,” Lalonde said. “Like Pope Francis, he truly cares about the situation of persecuted Christians who are deprived of religious freedom around the world. His support is significant in this mission to remind the world that religious freedom is a human right, not a privilege.”