“What I would like to be clear on is one thing, I am convinced that the persecution against Christians today is stronger than in the first centuries of the Church,” the Pontiff declared according to an article published last week.

“Today there are more Christian martyrs than in that period. And, it’s not because of fantasy, it’s because of the numbers.”

He added: “The persecuted Christians are a concern that touches me very deeply as a pastor…In some places it is prohibited to have a Bible or teach the catechism or wear a cross.”