Westminster: Night of Witness for persecuted Christians

Westminster Cathedral

Aid to the Church in Need's 'Night of Witness' for persecuted Christians, takes place at Westminster Cathedral this Thursday, 17 May, from 4pm onwards.

Pope Benedict XVI has said that "Religious freedom is the first of the human rights, for it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person". Such is the persecution of Christians in certain parts of the world, that we are now seeing the exodus of Christians from some countries and regions on a truly Biblical scale.

If you are free, even for just an hour, please consider coming along to show your support for persecuted Christians around the world. There is Mass in the Cathedral at 5:30pm, followed at 6:30pm with various performers outside the cathedral, as well as inspirational speeches from some pretty heavy-weight priests and bishops from around the world.

Guests who have agreed to take part in the Night of Witness include: Archbishop Joseph Coutts from Pakistan; Fr Stephen Wang (concelebrating the 5:30pm Mass); Bishop Joannes Zakaria from Egypt; Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton; Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster – greeting participants on the piazza; British Pakistani Christian Association; Iraqi Christians in Need; Priests and faithful from Iraq, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Lithuania.

Performers on the Night of Witness include: Catholic band Ooberfuse, winners of the UK entry for the World Youth Day 2011 song contest; Eliot Smith Dance Company debuting new piece Persecuted and Forgotten: Singer Helen Munt; West End Gospel Choir; Christian musician Hammad Baily; Catholic poet Sarah de Nordwall.

The evening runs from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.

For further details please see:

ACN's website: www.acnuk.org/events.php/261/night-of-witness

Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/370174729664843/

ACN on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/acn_uk