Pope: Let us pray for religious liberty in Asia

Text of the Pope's Video Message

In the vastly diversified cultural world of Asia, the Church faces many risks and her task is made more difficult by the fact of her being a minority.

These risks, these challenges are shared with other minority religious traditions, with whom we share a desire for wisdom, truth and holiness.

When we think of those who are persecuted for their religion, we go beyond differences of rite or confession : We place ourselves on the side of the men and women who fight to avoid renouncing their religious identity.

Let us pray for all of them, so that Christians, and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practice their faith in full freedom.