#RedWednesday

Houses of Parliament, Red Wednesday 2018 - image: Weenson Oo

Source: ACN

More than 120 public buildings across the UK will be lit red this year for #RedWednesday, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Westminster Cathedral.

This is the first #RedWednesday since the Bishop of Truro's Review into FCO support for persecuted Christians, which explicitly called for the FCO to support #RedWednesday as a way to tackle the persecution of Christians and other faith groups.

Organised by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, a candlelit Cross procession is leaving Parliament Square at 6.15pm, arriving at Westminster Cathedral at 6.30pm in time for a liturgy.

Rehman Chishti, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, will be leading the procession before speaking at the liturgy.

This year's #RedWednesday comes at the end of a year where the issue of religious freedom been taken increasingly seriously. The Truro Review helped raise the profile of religious groups being oppressed for their faith.

In the Middle East, Christianity is at a point of near extinction. Before 2003, there were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Today there are 150,000 with some reports putting it as low as 120,000 following the persecution of minorities by jihadists.

At the same time, Islamist extremism has extended its reach to Sri Lanka and Philippines; India's government under Prime Minister Modi grows increasingly populist and nationalist; North Korea and China continue to persecute Christians ruthlessly.

Across the UK, 13 cathedrals will be turning red, including St Chad's in Birmingham, St Mary's in Edinburgh and Armargh Cathedral. Many parishes and schools will be going red to stand up for faith and freedom.