The Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta, in the Archdiocese of Braga, promoted on Sunday a sensitization day dedicated to persecuted Christians worldwide, with the participation of the Aid to the Church in Need Foundation (ACN), the pontifical institution announced. The initiative included a silent walk in memory of Christians who are prevented from living their faith in freedom, traveling the Pilgrim's Way and the Via Sacra to the courtyard of the minhota basilica.
The route was accompanied by the sound of bells, while the temple's facade was lit in red to remember the blood shed by the martyrs. The head of ACN's national secretariat, Catarina Martins de Bettencourt, was present at the event, stating that it constitutes an opportunity to disseminate the foundation's mission and sensitize pilgrims to the urgency of praying for and assisting Christians who are victims of religious persecution.
The Marian sanctuary regularly collaborates with the Catholic foundation, ensuring annual active participation in the "Red Week," the awareness week for the restriction of religious freedom marked in November. Catarina Martins de Bettencourt considered the encounter an excellent opportunity to publicize ACN's work and highlighted that the sanctuary has been establishing itself as a prominent place in Portugal in the defense of persecuted Christians worldwide.
The ACN Foundation currently has 24 national offices and finances approximately 5,000 projects per year in more than 130 countries, aiming to respond to the urgent needs of communities oppressed because of their faith.
