Kudos to Brian Burch for raising the issue of Muslim s murdering Christians for their faith in Nigeria. The Vatican has not prioritized the issue as it should have done. Just days ago, Pope Leo XIV in Cameroon urged “Christians and Muslims to heal wounds of conflict,” but the situation there doesn’t involve Christians wantonly murdering Muslims for being Muslims. It’s Muslims killing Christians, and so it is appalling that the pope put both groups on the same level. It also signifies how flippantly the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is handling the critical issue of Christian persecution. He’s more concerned about support for open-door migration policies that allow free societies to be flooded with illegal migrants, including jihadists and those who harm innocent people.
“US Embassy to the Vatican: Nigerian Christians Are Being Targeted,” by Ishmael Adibuah, National Catholic Register, April 18, 2026:
ROME — It is “intolerable” that Christians are being targeted for persecution in Nigeria, said U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch during an event in Rome on Friday.
The group Solidarity with the Persecuted Church (SPC) and the Embassy of the United States to the Holy See organized the April 17 conference at the embassy on threats to religious freedom in Nigeria.
Burch spoke to EWTN News on the sidelines about the stance of the U.S. on religious violence in Nigeria. He described the current situation as a “conflict between radical Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.”
“The United States is the greatest friend of religious liberty,” Burch said. “The purpose of this event is to call attention to the plight of Christians who are being targeted and killed in Nigeria. Unfortunately, there are extremist Islamic groups that have been targeting Christians specifically in their churches and their homes, and the scale and size of the persecution of Christians there is intolerable.”
Asked about the denial by some Nigerian government officials that Christians specifically are being targeted, Burch insisted that the current violence against Christians is alarming, citing U.S. President Donald Trump, who designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern in 2025.
“The president has said that Christians face an existential crisis in Nigeria, and thanks to his leadership, he is now acting to bring an end to this. We have called on the Nigerian government to take necessary steps to protect Christians, and the United States government is now working in partnership with the Nigerian government to assist them in doing just that,” he said.
Steven Wagner, president of SPC, underscored the importance of Nigeria for Christianity in Africa and the need for the Holy See to be involved in raising awareness.
“As Nigeria goes, so goes Africa. More Christians are martyred for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country on earth. There is a huge crisis of internally displaced persons. We are calling on the Vatican to increase public awareness of the problem and to continue to encourage the government of Nigeria to make progress in protecting its people,” Wagner said.…
Andrew Knight says
The Muslims have a plan, and that plan involves killing Christians and Jews, in large numbers. Some Muslims have not yet been told the plan, but in the name of God, surely the Pope should be doing that? The only workable solution is Muslims leaving Islam. All of them. Any lesser ambition is, frankly, a bit pointless.
William Kemmler says
The only real workable solution is that Christians in Nigeria and other islam dominated countries need to step-up and defend themselves and the Faith. Which means for every Christian murdered by a moslem, two moslems meet the same fate. For every Chrisitan church defiled and set to the torch, two mosques. It’s time that Christians made it clear that violence against Christians will have consequences, serious consequences for moslems. Only then will then will the violence stop. If it nothing is done soon then Chrisitanity will be greatly reduced worldwide by the end of this decade and will be extinct by the end of the next. If not sooner.
James Lincoln says
According to the feature article:
“Burch… described the current situation as a “conflict between radical Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.”
Let me fix it:
“conflict between Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.”
There, I feel much better.
somehistory says
That’s an improvement, James, but to me, it still feels like there is a claim that Christians are doing some fighting.
If the muzzies would stop kidnapping, burning, raping and murdering Christians, there wouldn’t be a “conflict” in the real meaning of that word. The Christians would be happy just to keep living, working, attending their churches, etc.
Winston 101 says
somehistory,
Absolutely accurate.
When one group suffers and unprovoked attacked by another, the two groups are not “in conflict”.
The attacked group is under siege by an aggressor.
Islam is seeking to conquer Nigerian Christians. This siege by Islam, this conquering, is what Islam does and has always done. We are seeing, in real time, how Islam is spread by the sword.
What we call “just living our lives” and not accepting Islam is what Islam calls
“spreading mischief in the land”. Islam considers the not accepting Islam and continuing to be nonbelievers as an “insult to Allah and Mohammed”. Both of those refusals are crimes under Sharia and are punishable by death.
Mr. Burch is, at least, is trying to make an honest attempt to identify Islam as the aggressor.
The Pope, by not addressing the situation clearly, but by purposefully describing it as “wounds of conflict”, is committing a dereliction of duty on a massive scale.
somehistory says
Thank you, Winston, and you are right on all points. The ambassador is, at the very least, making an attempt. If he gets more information about islime, he may do even better at making his point.
Infidels of all types constantly step on the toes of muzzies just by “living” and not accepting the evil demands made upon them. But Christians are being slaughtered and not allowed to just ‘live their lives.’
James Lincoln says
Thanks for pointing that out, somehistory.
The word “conflict” is inaccurate.
somehistory says
Thank you, James.
gravenimage says
+1
Maria V says
Again, these are Not ‘violent extremists’ as they’re being called. The correct term for these killers is; ISLAMIST TERRORISTS.
End PC says
The Catholic Church under pope Leo xiv is more concerned, insanely, with Islamophobia. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has even put out an incredibly idiotic document
https://www.usccb.org/resources/Islamophobia%20A%20Guide%20for%20US%20Catholics%20on%20Anti-Muslim%20Bigotry.pdf
Hugh Fitzgerald says
If the Pope were to take a stand, express his sympathy and anguish over the Muslim mass-murdering of Christiana, that would make Muslims look bad..And feel bad. Their feelings would be hurt. And that, of course, would never do.
gravenimage says
Sadly true…
John Smith says
Absolutely Hugh.
somehistory says
If people were being honest, they would not becloud the issue.
Firstly, the government of Nigeria is all muzzie, so the muzzies doing the kidnapping, burning, raping and murder are all in line with what the government wants. How can the U.S. government ‘work” with nigerian government muzzies to “end” the murdering when the muzzie government is in league with the murderers?
Secondly, the ‘pope’ creature does not give a hoot about what is happening in Nigeria. If he could find a way to say that Christians there need to step up and make friends of the goons, he would do it. But, after he previously said that there is not enough talking, “inclusive welcoming” stuff between the two groups, he was slammed. Of course, he may yet say it after this ambassador thing has been said.
Thirdly, the pope is not “holy.” And he “sees” through the blinders of ‘muzzies are just like Catholics” and “we can be brothers,” and “our brothers,” etc.
Jesus was approached by a young man who called Him, “good.” Jesus asked, “Why do you call me good?” He then said that only The Father is good.
“New International Version
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
Based on this, I can write that the ‘pope’ is not “holy.” And by his words and actions, he shows that he doesn’t care about Christians, even the Catholic ones.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
You are 100% correct regarding the Pope.
In my experience, regarding the Catholic hierarchy:
Still lots of good local priests, but as you move up the food chain, wokeness predominates.
somehistory says
Thank you, James.
I have read a lot of other Catholic clergy speak the Truth about what is going on, the ravages of islime, and show their concerns about the “flock.”
It seems that the phrase about “power corrupts” is true with regard to those given exceptional powers within the Catholic church.
I believe they should remember what Jesus said about ‘the more is given, the more will be demanded.’
GE says
I saw a very apt statement on Twitchy:
“Thank you Holy Father for telling us we can live in peace with the Muslims.
Now go tell the Muslims—
somehistory says
And that pretty much says it, GE.
gravenimage says
Spot on, GE.
Tim gallagher says
Well done for raising this issue. The pope should be hammering the Muslims for slaughtering Christians in Africa instead taking the very soft attitude he has towards evil islam. He should call Islam out as the evil ideology that it is.
Wellington says
Very, very tired of Leo.
gravenimage says
US Ambassador to Vatican: It is ‘intolerable that Christians are being targeted for persecution in Nigeria’
………………………………………………….
Kudos to Brian Burch indeed!